A Love for All Time
by Ms Posada
Summary: Much to Hermione's chagrin, Professor McGonagall picked none other than Draco Malfoy to be her partner for Professor Binn's Historical Reenactment Project. They have a bad start, but ultimatly come to a truce. Mayhem ensues when they get stuck.
1. Chapter 1 A Love for All Time

Draco's face turned from a normal frown to a sneer when his eyes rested on the table farthest across the Great Hall. Saint Potter, Weasel, and Mudblood Granger whooped in laugher at a disgustingly funny joke someone along the thinly populated Gryffindor table made. He is was in a terrible mood since the beginning of the Christmas holidays when he found out that he was going to be staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. Not that the holiday was overly special to him, he still received a ridiculous amount of presents from his mother, and Pansy lavished him with gifts as well. 

_'At least you can make Potter's life a living hell'_ his father told him in a secured room at Azkaban, while visiting with his mother before the holidays.

_Saint Potter_, his mind seethed with hate saying the name. That prat put his father in Azkaban, covered his face in hexes and left to be found like some common stray on the Hogwarts Express by his mother. He tried his best, deducting points, name calling, and even a few hexes here and there, but Potter still wouldn't take the bait. The Mudblood Granger would always be beside him, muttering "Ignore him" with her eyes set forward, and Potter would stiffen his spine and walk away.

The flutter above him signaled the mail, he looked up for his family's owl and wasn't disappointed when it landed perfectly in front of his breakfast. As soon as he detached the letter, the owl took off with haste:

_Draco,_

_I am staying in the house in Paris for another week or so. I hope you liked your presents, it took me the whole day to figure what sizes to get you. If you need to contact me, use a school owl, your father's owl does not seem to like France._

_Keep Safe_

_Mum._

He read the letter with indifference, folded it and put it into his cloak. Ever since his father was sent to Azkaban, his mother seemed like a different person. She didn't require him to dress formally for dinner, he didn't have to call her 'Madam' anymore, and on more than one occasion, he caught her smiling. Not the malicious, ice queen smile she gave the other Death Eaters when they came over for functions. This time, the smiled reached her eyes, forming them from a severe ice blue, to a soft kerry blue.

His attention snapped back to the table when he heard collective 'oohs' and 'aahs' from all the students that had also wanted to remain in Hogwarts for Christmas.

"What the hell is everyone so happy about" Draco asked in a general direction, but Pansy Parkinson was at his elbow before anybody could respond. "The Historical Reenactment Project" Pansy said, squeaking like a mouse when she got excited.

"The what" Draco asked, confused.

"Didn't you read the school owl" Pansy asked, tilting her head to one side.

"Obviously not" he barked at her, now noticing the letter under his breakfast bowl, he picked it up:

_**Dear Hogwart's Student,**_

_**The staff is delighted to present a project that is exclusive to seventh years only. The Historical Reenactment Project will give you, the student, a chance to see, hear, and smell history as it happens. The Project is courteous of Professor Binns who upon hearing that his students found his class uninteresting came to me, the Headmaster, for a solution. The Project will be under way when the new school term begins this month. All seventh year students are to meet at three o'clock in Professor Binns' classroom, and will be instructed also by Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick.**_

_**May I suggest not picking partners or groups just yet, as they will be picked for you.**_

_**Enjoy the rest of your holidays,**_

_**Headmaster Albus Dumbledore**_

"This is great" Hermione exclaimed, about to jump out of her seat with excitement.

"I really don't see the big deal" Ron said with a slight shrug of his shoulder"its not like we get to pick who we travel with."

"That's not the point, you twit" she replied to Ron with a hint of annoyance in her voice"this is a chance of a life time, to experience history as it happens" Hermione's eye's slowly started to glaze over in the wonder of it all.

Harry smiled at Hermione, understanding her point of view on the Project.

"I wonder if we can travel outside of England" Harry asked, stuffing a mini-muffin in his mouth.

"I highly doubt it, too dangerous. We probably won't be able to touch or talk to anybody, I wonder if it will be like being in a Pensieve." Hermione asked herself.

Harry became thoughtful, knowing first hand what it was like to be in a Pensieve'this is going to be very interesting.'

All of a sudden Hermione jumped up, grabbed her bags, stuffed a muffin a mouth and started to leave.

"Where are you going" Harry yelled, because she was halfway to the door.

"Library, I have to look up muggle and magical history, I can't be unprepared" She said, dashing out the Great Hall.

"Forget Auror, she can probably get a job here as the librarian" Ron snorted.

Draco watched the mudblood run out of the Great Hall like there was a rampage of hippogriff's after her. His mind was brought back to his table when he felt something on his thigh.

"Pansy, please take your hands off me, these robe are new" Draco told her coldly.

"But Draco, you promised me yesterday" she pouted, he guessed she was trying to look cute, but it came across like if someone knocked her in the mouth with a bludger.

"Not today, Pansy." He said, getting up, holding up his hand signaling Crabbe and Goyle to stay where they are.

He stalked out the Great Hall with intension to fly around the Quidditch pitch when he saw the mudblood slowly wobbling her way to the Fat Lady portrait, her arms straining with books that were piled pass her head. He couldn't pass this up, he stealthy slipped passed her, and when turning the corner to head for his common room, he whispered the Jelly Legs hex, and Hermione came crashing down with a loud "_Bloody Hell_"


	2. Chapter 2 A Love for All Time

Later in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was still fuming over who did that hex on her, a Head Girl!  
  
"When I find out who did that, I am deducting as much points that I am allowed!" she seethed, popping down on her normal chair.  
  
"I'm telling you, it was Malfoy," Ron said, "it was only 20 seconds after he left the Hall we heard you crash down to the floor."  
  
"He is the Head Boy, he wouldn't risk his badge on a mud-err...person like me." Hermione said.  
  
"We know, but on to a different subject," Harry said, tired of hearing Hermione complain, "when are we planning a trip to Hogsmead?"  
  
Ron jumped in, also tired of hearing her complain about being humiliated, she's Head Girl, someone's going to pay...blah, blah, blah. "Yea, I'm almost done with my stash of Chocolate Frogs."  
  
She sighed, "You guys plan, I'll just come along," she opened a book, closed it and rubbed her eyes, "I am going to my room guys, see you later."  
  
They both waved her off, they knew she was taking being embarrassed in front of the Great Hall hard. Hermione is the proudest Head Girl in Hogwarts history, they thought she was awful about being a prefect, she got worse when she became Head Girl.  
  
Hermione walked into the small and comfortable common room she and Draco shared. They hardly spoke to each other, even at meetings; there was a feeling of coldness between the two that not even sharing living quarters could have broken. She took a bath and changed into fleece pants, and a T- shirt that fit her growing chest. She thanked Merlin that she was raised a Muggle sometimes. Clothes from the Gap, Ann Taylor, Nordstrom...you just can't find outfits like that in Diagon Alley. She picked up her Advanced Mediwizard, Book 3: Internal Bleeding and Severe Hexes. She still didn't know if she wanted to be an Auror or not, but having medical experience could come in handy in that field.  
  
Draco waltzed in with his broom, dropping it loudly on the floor in front of Hermione, but she didn't even look up. Mentally she sighed, knowing that he was just trying to bait her into an argument. After the first day they found out they were going to share living quarters, their argument ended with Hermione on Draco's back trying to choke the life out of him. If it weren't for Harry and Ron walking up to ask if she needed help moving in, she feared she might have really hurt him. She glanced up at him from the top of her book and rolled her eyes; he was starting to strip from the common room to his bedroom. This was a normal occurrence on his part, everyday he would walk in and started taking off his clothes the minute the door would close.  
  
"Are the filthy rich always this...filthy?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself.  
  
"I wouldn't talk about being dirty, mudblood." Draco sneered before closing the door to his room. She glanced down at his broom and debated if she should chuck it into the fire.  
  
'Ignore him...thinks he is so bloody brilliant...' Hermione said in her mind. She finished her book and left the common room to go practice her Mediwitch Level 3 skills with Madam Pomfrey.  
  
Draco was restless, not even the most wildest ride around the pitch helped him worked the anxiousness that would not let him sit still. He thought maybe it was because he worrying about his father, it was not that, to tell the truth he didn't really give a shit if his father rotted in Azkaban or not. His mother was acting strangely but it was not that either. Then it hit him...I need sex. His mind immediately went to Pansy and his nose wrinkled. She offered herself every single day but yet he could never enjoy her, he knew that there were other choices in his house, the Ravenclaws and even the Hufflepuffs, but it was just too easy. Substance? Was that what he is looking for? He made a sound of disgust and got up from his bed, 'substance.' he thought, to hell with substance. Substance meant love, and that was something that he never intended on doing. He pulled open the door fully intending on pissing off Granger enough to brandish her claws like the first day, but was greeted by an empty common room and the slight scent of damask rose. He snorted in frustration and slammed the door on the imaginary Granger.  
  
***  
  
The school was back into a full bustle, the holidays were over and the students were pilling into Hogwarts twenty at a time. Hermione stood in front of the doors of the Great Hall making sure that order was kept, children tended to still think they were home when returning to school.  
  
"Hey, Hermione!" a voice called out, she turned to see a very tanned Luna Lovegood walking towards her.  
  
"Hey Luna, how was your holidays?" Hermione asked the dreamy eyed girl.  
  
"It was great," Luna started, "my father and I went to Columbia to search for the Black Backed Hingerblatt." Hermione just raised her eyebrow as the girl continued taking. "We didn't see them, the rest of the trip was rather dull."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, you know Ron is in the there eating, right?" she said, pointing to the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Interesting," Luna said, her eyes drifting over to the table, "Later Hermione."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the mob of people, she caught a scuffle about to break out. She got over to the scene so quickly one would have thought she had apparated there.  
  
"What's going on here?" Hermione asked in her no-nonsense voice.  
  
"That filthy Slytherin broke my bag and put a jelly legs jinx on my sister!" Hermione was that the speaker was a little Ravenclaw boy and his sister who was wobbling around, was in Gryffindor.  
  
"No magic allowed in the hallways, especially for first years, 15 points-" but she was interrupted.  
  
"Back off Granger, this is my house, I will deal with it." Draco said appearing behind the boy, whose face went from pale to smug.  
  
"Like hell you will Malfoy," Hermione said gritting her teeth, "You very well know you won't punish him."  
  
"Lets go" he went to turn on his heel when he almost ran into set of flowing purple robes.  
  
"Was there a party planned that I was not invited to?" came the voice of the Headmaster, his eyes wide with curiosity.  
  
"Headmaster Dumbledore, Malfoy is trying to undermine my authority as Head Girl by letting the Slytherin culprit get away jinxing these two students." Hermione lashed out before Draco had a chance to mutter 'sorry'.  
  
"He is my house, I will deal with him as I see fit." Draco said dead quietly. The Slytherin boy shivered, knowing full well that he was going to get off. Now that the Headmaster was involved, Draco would rip him to pieces.  
  
"Like hell." Hermione turned to the Headmaster, watching the exchange with interest.  
  
"The punishment stays, Mr. Malfoy, the only reason to get involved in the matter after the Head Girl has given punishment is to chastise the student further." He turned to the student and smiled, "Now, if you will excuse me, my bladder is not a strong as it used to be."  
  
Hermione smirked and looked at Malfoy, but he was already gone, in his wake a very frightened bunch of Slytherins 


	3. Chapter 3 A Love for All Time

The month of January signaled the start of new classes, the newest one on everybody's mind was the Historical Reenactment Project. First years through Sixth years were green with envy at their mates' good fortune. That was the topic of conversation everywhere anyone went. Hermione was sick with anticipation. Harry and Ron were rather indifferent, it would only matter to them once they found out who they were partnered with, and Harry was positive that he would somehow get Malfoy as a partner. Hermione's attention drifted away from their conversation to think about him. The good news was that Draco didn't even look at her or speak to her. But that was what bothered her. Upset her more even. He acted like she didn't exist. Like her presence in the room was beneath his notice. How dare he ignore her like that? There was something almost inhumane about the way he was acting around her. In classes he would sneer at Harry and Ron, but wouldn't even acknowledge her.  
  
The threesome walked to the fourth floor, to a classroom they never yet occupied. It was massive. Harry's neck prickled for it reminded him of the courtroom where Sirius disappeared behind the veil. He felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder and looked over to Hermione's smiling face. She knew, she always knew.  
  
"Its Ok Harry." Hermione whispered into his ear, and she felt the tension drain from his body.  
  
They sat down towards the front, Neville on the end, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Dean, Lavender, Parvati and others. It seemed that the three houses didn't mind sitting together; it was the Slytherin who seemed to reserve three or four tables for their own. The talking stopped when Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Binns entered the room.  
  
"Greetings seventh years, I take it this history lesson will keep you awake for once." Professor Binns started off.  
  
McGonagall gave a tight-lipped smile, "Students, I trust you had half a mind to read the materials that were delivered to your rooms because neither I or the other professors will waste our time to explain what was in the packet."  
  
Hermione felt Ron sigh next to Harry and she smiled, she threatened the both of them with no more Quidditch if they didn't read the packet of parchment that was delivered to their dorms. It was just basic safety, and emergency instructions.  
  
"Now, I will turn the floor to Professor Flitwick to explain the charms involved with this class, Professor?" McGonagall gestured for him to take the floor.  
  
"Hello seventh years!" Flitwick squeaked from the top of a chair, "the charms that will be used today are very simple, but there is little room for error." He flicked his wand to the massive blackboard and words appeared.  
  
"Anteeo means time, Primus means prior, prergrinatio means to travel, and porro means far back in time." He said, looking at the class who, even the Slytherins were wrapped in attention. "Now, you will be chanting these words and the rings, which will be provided for you, that you and your partner will be wearing have to be touching. The feeling of traveling is basically the same feeling as a Portkey, except the feeling lasts a little longer."  
  
Hermione's hand shot up. "Yes, Hermione?"  
  
"So you mean that we won't be in a Pensieve or something like that?" Hermione asked the small Professor.  
  
"Good gracious no!" Professor Flitwick said, almost losing balance, "if you were is a Pensieve, you could only follow the person who's memory you are occupying, and I'm sure you do not want to follow them around, especially when they have private things to do." Hermione blushed and nodded.  
  
"That was an excellent point Hermione brought up. Students, you will be in history, you will get to eat the food, smell the air, talk to the people, but as soon as you leave, the people who've seen you and spoken to you will fail to remember you. All we ask is please do not make a spectacle of yourselves that you end up in the church records." The Professor continued.  
  
"Now the rings that we will be providing you have a platinum band with the Hogwarts seal. Once they are put on your fingers, they will contour to the size of it, and only you can take it off. This your way home. By pressing the Hogwarts seal you will be brought back to the present time. When the class is over in real time, you will automatically be brought back no matter the situation, so I suggest you get your assignment done, then you explore the surroundings." The Professor turned to McGonagall and signaled her to join him.  
  
"Everyone, please come to the front of the class, now." McGonagall said, and the class filled up the space in front the blackboard. "When I call the name of you and your partner, you will sit down starting from the first seat, first row, on the left side of the room." She said sternly when she heard grumbling. She full well knew the Slytherin bunch would have remained together and have their partners work in the snake pit.  
  
"Ronald and Millicent." Hermione gave an expression of pity to the boy, ever since she got into a fight with Millicent that first year Ron hated her.  
  
"Hannah and Goyle." McGonagall rolled her eyes at the request that Draco's two bodyguards be called by last name only.  
  
"Harry and Crabbe." Harry gasped, it wasn't Malfoy! Hermione took a quick glance at steely-eyed boy and saw he was confused and relieved as well as Harry.  
  
"Lavender and Pansy." She heard Pansy mutter "ew" under hear breath before going to sit down.  
  
"Hermione and Draco." What? Her mind reeled. She stood rooted on the spot what seemed like forever. "Hermione, please sit." McGonagall's voice snapped her back to reality. She looked over to the tables and Draco was already sitting down, his expression unreadable.  
  
"Neville and Blaise." And the professor continued until the class was paired up and in complete silence.  
  
"Now that you all have your partners, the sheets that will appear in front of you momentarily are a list of places, events, and times in history that have been designated for your project. Please choose wisely, once you choose a site you will not be able to change. Also, only one person per event, if there are two groups that want one event, it will be left up to me, Professor Flitwick and Professor Binns." She looked at the class, her mouth compressing into a tight line, "Start!" she barked and half the class, including Slytherins jumped.  
  
There was a very low murmur of grumbling, most people pointing and grunting, then getting a "yes or no" grunt in return.  
  
Hermione counted to ten and calmed herself, she was in this for the long run. She looked up at Draco was watching her with interest, and forced a small smile.  
  
"Did you take a look at the list?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
"Can I read, mudblood?" He said, his expression still looked interested.  
  
"Stop it." She said, clenching her jaw.  
  
"What?" he said, giving her a small smile.  
  
"You know McGonagall is looking at us, you are just pretending to be interested in whatever dung that is coming out my mouth so you won't get more points deducted." Hermione told him, looking at the paper. "And why would I waste my time battling words with you, Mudblood? I have already picked what I wanted to do, you can either come along, or find another partner." He said, hoping she would take the bait. Draco was dreading the time he would have to spend with her.  
  
"What?" her head snapped up, "without even talking to me?"  
  
"What is there to talk about mudblood, my word is higher than yours." He told her, looking at his polished fingernails.  
  
"What a load of crap, you twit!" She said getting red in the face, "we are coming a decision together, our average will drop ten points if we don't pass it, and I would hate for you to disappoint daddy dearest." Hermione looked at him in the eye.  
  
"Don't ever speak of my father again." Draco said, clenching his fist.  
  
"Hit a soft spot, did I?" Hermione asked in mock concern.  
  
"Shut your filthy mouth." He growled.  
  
"No." She replied.  
  
"What?" he asked, his eyes opening.  
  
"I said no, you prat." She said, her eyes scanning the paper, she wanted to pick so many things, but only one.  
  
"What about the signing of the Declaration of Independence?" she asked.  
  
"No." he replied.  
  
"The Fall of the Czars?" she asked again.  
  
"No, look, you are sorely trying my patience, I want to see the Holocaust, plain and simple." He said, without looking at her.  
  
"Are you mad?" she almost yelled, her tone getting the attention of both Harry and Ron. "You want to see the mass murder of people?" her hand flew to her heart.  
  
"The mass murder of muggle is always a good thing to see, makes me realize my goal in life." Draco said smugly.  
  
Hermione looked at him and anger welled up in her. So, he was going to work for Voldermort. Now that his father was in Azkaban Voldermort needed a new lap dog, looks like Malfoy is more than happy to take his father's place. Bloody coward.  
  
She felt the classroom go quite around her, she looked up to see what was the matter with everyone, but they were all staring at her. Even McGonagall looked at her with a bewildered look. Harry and Ron looked downright dumbfounded, what in hell is going on? Then the realization hit her like a ton of bricks...she said that out loud. Hermione counted to five and looked over to Draco, his eyes were set forward and his jaw was clenched tight. His hands were rolled up in fists and his knuckles white. He got up and without looking at her, strode from the room with all the pride he could muster. 


	4. Chapter 4 A Love for All Time

Later in the Gryffindor Common room Hermione was getting cheers around for putting Malfoy in his place. "Bloody brilliant Hermione!" Ron exclaimed after class.  
  
"Yea." Harry said uncertainly, searching her face.  
  
"I didn't know I said that out loud." Hermione said, looking up at Harry. He knew that Hermione saying out loud that Draco was destined to be Voldermort's lap dog was unintentional.  
  
"Why then?" Harry asked her.  
  
"Because she is brilliant! You should have seen his face when he left the class." Ron said, sounding like Christmas had come early.  
  
"I better get going, I told McGonagall that I would let her know by tonight what our choice was." Hermione said, sounding like she was told that she had to give Fluffy a bath.  
  
"Good Luck." Harry told her.  
  
Hermione slowly ascended the steps to her and Draco's common room, she sighed and pushed open the door. She stepped in, shut the portrait and looked around. Draco was sitting on the over stuffed arm chair his mother sent him, staring without blinking to the fire.  
  
"Malfoy...I'm..." Hermione started to apologize, but he cut her off.  
  
"For what Granger, being right?" Draco said, still looking to the fire.  
  
"I had no right..." but his words stopped her dead in her tracks, "...excuse me?" she asked, flabbergasted.  
  
"You have no idea, Granger, none at all." Draco said, his head to see her bewildered face, "Please, pick whatever time or place, just leave me alone." He turned his head to stare into the fire.  
  
Hermione nodded dumbly and slowly walked to her room. Upon closing the door, she released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She looked at the closed door in shocked wonder. She fully expected to be dodging hexes and unforgivable curses when she walked through the door, not this calm, collected man sitting in the common room. The scary thing was she wanted him to yell at her, to curse too, even attack her; this quite Malfoy was too deadly.  
  
Draco Malfoy sat in the common room for what must have been hours until the mudblood finally came in stuttering an apology. He wanted to hit her with hexes, curse her, mark her skin...but he couldn't find it in his 'black soul' to do that. 'Fucking Coward,' he heard everything she said, from his father being in Azkaban to being the Dark Lord's lap dog, but it was the coward part that angered him. These prats, these normal children don't have any idea what his life is about; the secrets, the lies, the killing. Coward? These fucking children would die living in his house for just one night. Every summer they go home to loving parents, muggle or not, they get picked up from Kings Cross. He, the all-powerful Draco Malfoy, who has a driver to escort him home, would kill a kitten for a pat of appreciation from his father. Even from Azkaban Lucius still made Draco feel worthless in letting Potter hex him within an inch of his life. Who hits his son, wife, elves...and this was the man that he was to become? Was this what he wanted in life? An existence on the run, to be called in the cover of darkness to a location to do the bidding of a half dead, half alive mudblood? Draco sighed into the stillness of the common room, his normally steel gray eyes turning into adamantium. He got up from the chair, grabbed his cloak, and left.  
  
"It is twelve at night, whoever it is come back tomorrow!" barked the Potions Master in his private office.  
  
"Its Draco, sir." The simple reply came from the other side of the door, Snape's eyebrow shot up in surprise.  
  
"Come in then." He said brusquely, "How can I help you Mr. Malfoy?" Severus said without looking up from the parchments scattered on his enormous mahogany desk.  
  
Draco knew this was a horrible idea, Snape was a Death Eater, in close ties with his father and The Dark Lord, and he would do running back without a second though to report.  
  
"I...well, I have...Granger as my partner in my Historical Project I'm doing for Binns, is there anything you can do?" Draco asked, trying to come across indifferent, but his palms were sweating something fierce, he knew this was a bad idea.  
  
"No." Severus said, looking at his prized student closely, "That was up to Minerva, and I frankly think this whole Project is half-baked and ill- prepared."  
  
"Well, thank you." Draco said getting up and heading for the door, feeling the need to get out of the room that was quickly enclosing on him.  
  
"Is there anything else, Mr. Malfoy?" the Professor asked, looking up from the parchments.  
  
"No." He said hesitantly, and as soon as he left, Severus jumped from behind the desk and flooed himself to the Headmaster's Office.  
***  
  
Draco expelled the breath he was holding outside of the Snape's Office, and braced himself against the cold stonewall.  
  
He almost ended his life; he almost told one of Voldermort's prized Death Eaters that he did not want to follow in his father's footsteps. That he would rather die at the hand of...wait...he would rather not have to die at all. Who was so powerful that he would have to follow them like a power hungry puppy? He was Draco Malfoy, he didn't follow anyone. Before he was aware, he was already at the portrait that harbored his room. He looked up at the blushing girl, and realized that he was staring at her painted breasts.  
  
"Sod off." He told her, she snorted at him, but let him in.  
  
***  
  
"Interesting." The Headmaster replied to the dark haired man sitting in his office.  
  
"Indeed," Severus told him, sitting comfortably in his chair, "the light has finally clicked in that platinum head of his."  
  
"What makes you think that he truly does not want to work with Hermione?" Albus asked him, pouring tea for him and the Potions Master.  
  
"He has handled working with both Potter and Weasely," Severus said, taking the herbal concoction, "albeit, I've had to give them detention, but I believe Granger is not the problem."  
  
Many of these late nights Severus and Dumbledore stayed up, talking about the pending war, fully knowing that it could cost them everything. The long, horrible battle that would finally spell out everything he knew, for he knew that once Voldermort found out he was a spy, it would be over. Since Draco entered Hogwarts seven years ago, Severus prided himself on becoming the child's mentor, and right under his father's nose. After all, it wasn't the child's fault his father was a power hungry, ruthless madman, he played Draco right into Severus' hands. He knew by the stance of Draco's birth the boy would never be a player in Voldermort's grand game, he would only be a pawn, and a pawn could be sacrificed without a second thought.  
  
"I do believe that he is finally getting the fact that he is in fact, Draco Malfoy, not Lucius." Severus told the Headmaster, who was petting Fawkes' head absentmindedly.  
  
"Then, you continue with your tutelage, when you see him about to break, tell him the truth."  
  
"Age must be getting to your head, old man!" Severus gasped; unable to grasp the concept of telling Lucius' son he was a spy.  
  
"If worse comes to worse, we will charm his memory," Dumbledore held us his hand to the unbelieving Professor, "I know, I know, charms are notoriously unstable, but if the boy sees that what he is feeling alright, maybe we won't have to obliviate his memory at all."  
  
Severus got up from his seat and started to leave the Headmaster's office, "Albus, I expect to nominate Longbottom for next Potions Master and Crabbe as the next Transfiguration teacher before I see Draco Malfoy Avadra Kedavra-ing his father." With the trademark swish of his cloak, he left the Headmaster's office; anxious to watch Draco for the upcoming weeks for any signs that he would soon abandon the life that he was told he had to live. 


	5. Chapter 5 A Love for All Time

After the confrontation, Draco and Hermione were at a stand still. She picked the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth the first, hoping it would have piqued Draco's interest a little. No such luck, as he ignored her, paying close attention to the students that were now making their way in and out through time. Hermione sighed and decided to give up, he would eventually have to talk to her when they traveled together.  
  
She turned her attention to Harry and Crabbe, who picked to see the falling of the Russian Czars. A very bloody time in Russian history, but Crabbe looked so disinterested that a naked Professor Snape could have apparated selling Love Potions in Dobby's tea cozy couldn't have brought him out of the stupor. She stifled a giggle when Harry sharply tapped Crabbe on the head with his wand to get him to pay attention to the incantation that would transport them back in time.  
  
"One would think something as small as getting the spell right would warrant three minutes of one's attention." Hermione said absentmindedly to herself, not noticing she said it out loud.  
  
"You really have got to learn to shut your mouth once in a while Granger." Draco said suddenly that Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice.  
  
"What are you going on about?" she said, not looking away from Harry who was being sucked into an invisible hole off to witness history.  
  
"You do know that you have a habit of saying things out loud." He sneered at Hermione remembering yesterday when she made him look like a fool in front of the class unwarily.  
  
"I most certainly have to reason to explain my actions to you, Malfoy." Hermione said, looking him in the eye, "sod off."  
  
"Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, please approach the front of the class." Professor McGonagall's voice broke the tension that was beginning to build up between them once again. She tore her eyes away from his cold steel colored ones and nodded at the Professor. Both of them approached the front of the class and Hermione could not help but feel the eyes of all the Slytherin females on her.  
  
"Now, I trust that the Head Boy and Girl know what the precautions are, so I need not bother to explain them in detail, but I must warn you: please do not go about making yourself noticeable. The times that you are traveling were most dangerous for witches, when most could escape a burning, none could have escaped hanging." At hearing this, Hermione's eyes widened while Draco's expression remained impassive and borderline bored.  
  
"I will explain you assignments when you get back at the end of the class. Please take notes on people you see, foods you eats and your surrounding very carefully, you can be sure that the questions that will be asked of you are unexpected to say the least." The Professor said looking at Draco in the eye, "and please, if you can help it, do not use magic while you are there!"  
  
Professor Flitwick approached them with a long black velvet box in his hand. Hermione's eyes widened for the second time that day, the rings that the Professor was providing them with were absolutely stunning. Almost shining from the inside, the platinum bands boasted the Hogwarts seal, but in place of the house mascots were beautiful flawless stones. A blood red ruby that represented Gryffindor, a bright yellow Amber that was Hufflepuffs, a stunning icy blue labradorite that all the Ravenclaws would have been proud to call their own, and lastly the most beautiful emerald that Hermione had ever saw in her life.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it Ms. Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked the astonished girl, with a ghost of a smile on her worn face.  
  
"Very, I have never seen anything so perfect." Hermione responded, not taking her eyes away from the ring.  
  
"They're not even diamonds," Draco said, trying not to look too interested in the ring, but he had to admit that he would have shaken the person's hand to design such a flawless beauty.  
  
Hermione sighed in impatience; "Is anything ever good enough for a Malfoy?" she spat out, surprised by her own hostility. However, it was a very beautiful ring.  
  
"Mudbloods are never good enough." Draco said low enough that only she could hear. Hermione turned red with embarrassment and anger, she opened her mouth to retort a cutting reply, but Harry and Crabbe popped back into the classroom, looking very disarrayed.  
  
"My Goodness, Potter and Crabbe, can't you go one trip without getting into fights?!" the Professor rounded on the two boys that looked like if they were deer caught in a 18-wheeler's headlights.  
  
While the Professor was taking away points and giving detention, Professor Flitwick approached the Head Boy and Girl to watch over their trip into the past.  
  
"Now," he squeaked from the height of their knees, "I don't expect you two to be buddies, but try and act civil, eh? Remember, you are going back to a place where your rivalry doesn't exist!" What was meant to be a normal comment he told each and every student before they made their trip, struck both Draco and Hermione like a brick, they looked at each other for a brief moment, but Hermione broke the eye contact with a slight blush.  
  
"Now that that's done with," Professor McGonagall came back to them in a huff, her color still high, and Harry looking like a thoroughly chastised child, she flicked her wand in the air and the incantation appeared floating right at eye level for both students.  
  
"Remember, work first, explore after." She said, calming down, and her color returning to normal "whenever you're ready."  
  
Draco and Hermione looked at each other warily and let the rings touch with minimal skin contact. Hermione wore the ring on the third finger of her right hand, as did Draco, and they both cited the incantation, and as they did, Hermione could help but feel the magic course through her body.  
  
"Primus anteo peregrimatio porro" they both coursed and Draco felt the exhilaration rush through his body at his adrenaline was pumped more and more into his blood.  
  
Then it happened, Hermione and Draco felt something pulled harshly on the back of their navel. The sensation was awful. And it would have been worse had she not experienced traveling by Portkey for the Quidditch World Cup years before. She bit her lip to the point of drawing blood to hold the scream that threatened to burst out of her throat. A new sensation started, she was spinning, spinning so rapidly she felt her arms would have torn from her body. As suddenly as the feel came, it stopped, and Hermione found herself on her hands and knees gasping for air on the floor of the inn that served as a station for the students to safely travel in and out of time. Draco appeared beside her a second later, gracefully landing on his feet, but looking flushed, and his hair in disarray. 


	6. Chapter 6 A Love for All Time

Draco looked down at her dispassionately and after he gained his bearings, moved to the closet that held the clothes that they would wear while in 15th Century England. Hermione got to her feet, dusted her skirt off and joined him there.  
  
"You know, we might at well make some kind of truce while we are here..." she said, not wanting to go on, but to see his initial reaction to her proposition. He stiffened a little at the sound of her voice, and turned to her.  
  
"What if I say no, Mudblood? Run home and tell Potter and Weasel that I didn't want to get along with the all knowing Granger?" he mocked her nastily, still not looking at her.  
  
"I know you hate me, and sure as hell hate you, but I think of this as a once in a life time opportunity, and I refuse to have your negativity and nastiness ruin this for me." She said loudly, tuning to face him with her hands on her hips.  
  
Draco sighed, why not get along with the mudblood, if he got on her good side, maybe she would write up the while report for both of them. But then he thought of them, Weasel and Potter, her two bodyguards that only needed half a reason to try and curse him. Fuck it.  
  
"Ok Granger, for the remainder of the three or four hours we have to spend together, we can try to be civil." He said, still surprised that he was making an offer to be nice to the mudblood...no...not mudblood, Granger  
  
"What?" She asked, surprised for the second time that week by his response to her.  
  
"Shit Granger, if you are so smart, why are you so hard of hearing?" he asked getting annoyed. He turned back to the closet to pick out clothing to wear to the Queen's Coronation that was to take place within the hour.  
  
"I'll have you know, Malfoy," she said, trying to keep the cutting edge out of her voice, "that I am not used to listening to you, once you start to speak, I tune you out, always have since first year."  
  
"As much as I would love to hear how you go out of your way to ignore me, we have a Coronation to attend, and if your not ready by the time I am, I am leaving you." He relied to her, stripping off his shirt and tossing it aside. Hermione stood there with her mouth widened slightly, oh...Merlin... he was gorgeous! His back was lean, and the trousers he wore were slung low on his waist, so low, that when he turned to face her, she saw the triangle, and the "Pleasure Path" that Lavender used to go on and on about. Her face flushed crimson red when he caught here eyes. There was no malice there, no mockery, just something there that he never thought he would see in Granger's eyes. Lust.  
  
"I-I...better...change," Hermione stuttered walking back to the door that housed the women's wardrobe. She broke eye contact, backed into the other room and closed the door. She put her hands to her cheeks and found them warm to the touch, when had Draco become so handsome? She thought to herself. A knock on the door almost made her jump out of her skin, she fanned her face, blushing more thinking Draco was on the other side. When she opened the door, she found a small plump serving wench, with fat cheeks and a small gap in between her teeth.  
  
"The inn keeper sent me to assist you wit your gown, mum, would you be needin my help?" the rosy colored girl asked her in friendly tones.  
  
"Err...sure, come in." Hermione stepped aside to let the small woman in, "I'm sorry, I had just arrived I have I no idea where anything of mine is." She was not sure if the woman was a muggle or wizard, and if she knew the circumstances of her arrival.  
  
"Dinna worry Mum, I'm a Squib, my Uncle runs this here inn, we have had students from Beaubaxtons and Drumstrang arrivin here as well," the woman said, bustling about the room, putting brushed and combs on the dresser, and pulling out dresses for Hermione to pick from, "other than that, we have been busy, wizards from all around England and France are here to see the Queen's Coronation. Now mum, which one would you like to wear?"  
  
She took out four dresses and hung them on hooks in the wall. There was a beautiful apple green one, with freshwater pearls sewn right into the bodice and the arms were shot through with gold thread. The underskirt was a lighter green and was sheer and soft to the touch. The next one was a beautiful peacock blue dress, the underskirt was a mix with green and gold, and the length came to her ankles. She looked though ten dresses before deciding to go with a candlelight colored one. The simple bodice was cut low and embroidered in seed pearls, the puffed sleeves, which ended just below the elbow, where slashed and the openings filled with a fine cream- colored lace. Below the elbow, the sleeves hugged the arm alternating bands of satin and lace. The wrists were ruffled by a wide band of lace, and the underskirt was embroidered with delicate seed pearls and tiny diamond flowers. The dress had a small, starched, heart shaped lace collar edged in tiny diamonds that rose up behind the neck. The underskirt was a graceful bell.  
  
Ignoring Hermione's complaints, Daisy tightened the corset that was required to wear with the dress to the point Hermione thought her ribs would have cracked. When the petticoats and farthing was on, she slipped the dress over Hermione's head and laced up the back. She was standing on one foot, holding on to a chair when Draco walked in with a scowl on his face, fully intending to ask her if she was going to plan to use us all their time in Old England playing dress up. But upon seeing her in the cream gown that complemented the creaminess of her skin, and brought out the slight highlights of brown in her toffe colored hair, his insults died in his throat.  
  
She was an absolute vision to behold. She didn't notice him standing here, so she kept her behavior unguarded, laughing at Daisy as she attempted to get Hermione's foot into the leather shoes. His eyes traveled fro her face, to her delicate throat where a beautiful necklace of diamonds and gold graced it. But his eyes stayed riveted on the swell of her breasts above the bodice of her dress. He licked his lips in anticipation...anticipation for what? Draco shook his head slightly, as if to get his vision back, but Hermione's body wouldn't let him.  
  
"Draco, you're ready?" Hermione said, snapping back into reality, "You look great!" she said enthusiastically, noting the flush of her cheeks and the brightness in her eyes, she truly did not mind that she was spending the day with Draco Malfoy.  
  
"You look wonderful, like the portraits of my ancestors that line the hall in Malfoy manner." He said, trying to come across and genuine. He came more into the room, and regretted it; the scent of damask rose assaulted him like the killing curse. It was spicy and innocent, it fit Hermione so perfectly.  
  
"You mean I can actually pass for a pure-blood?" she asked in mock surprise, "quite a complement coming from a Malfoy!" she laughed into his face. He smiled at her, and she couldn't help feeling a surge of adolescent puppy love for him. He looked so handsome, wearing his trademark green silk shirt that was tied to the neck. Britches that fit his legs at well as his Quidditch uniform, but ended at his knees, where stocking and leather boots provided warmth from the damp chill outside. His long hair was tied in a ribbon at the nape of his neck, and his heavy cloak was slung over one shoulder.  
  
"Don't take the compliment too far, you're still a mudblood." He said, and instantly regretting it, the smile faded from her face and turned it to a tight-lipped frown. Daisy even gasped at the term and turned brick red, not knowing how to react.  
  
"Daisy, if you would get my cloak, Mr. Malfoy and I are ready to depart." She said aristocratically, walking past Draco who was still standing there feeling like a complete idiot.  
  
Shit, shit, shit...nice going...asshole, he thought to himself seeing Hermione's stiff back walk to the other side of the room to check her make up.  
  
"I'm sorry Granger..." he started to say, but she interrupted him, "I know that your blood is purer than mine Draco. I know that we are together for the next three or four hours. I don't ask you to respect me, or even to even call me by my first name, all I do ask is that you never call me that filthy disgusting name ever again," she said with more calm than she was feeling. Inside Hermione wanted to burst with anger, and her palm itched to slap his face, to get some revenge...but although his face was unreadable, he was feeling like a prat inside. When he first came into her room, she was so effervescent and full of excitement to be here, albeit not with him, but here experiencing this, we wanted to apologize, but he didn't know how too. This was mudblood Granger...in his heart he knew that, but this beautiful, radiant woman standing in front of him only reminded him of a ghost left in Hogwarts.  
  
Before he realized it, he slowly approached her from behind taking in her scent as he dropped his lips to the most sensitive spot between her neck and shoulders. Her heard her sharp intake of breath and the very faint sound from the back of her throat.  
  
"I'm sorry Hermione, its bred in me to be an arse to you," he said whispered softly into her ear, lightly kissing the lobe, "lets just be Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, a couple from Hogwarts here to enjoy the Coronation of the Queen. Agreed?"  
  
Hermione felt like her chest was going to explode! All she remembered thinking about was willing her self to calm down enough to bear the ride to Cathedral then to feel a soft, butterfly kiss on her neck. Her gooseflesh rose at the tone of his voice, and Hermione felt something awaken inside of her. She turned around to look Draco in the eye, and whispered "Agreed." Before pulling his head in to an earth shattering, kiss.  
  
Draco felt like the wind was knocked out of him. Those warm chocolate eyes looked him right into his own with something hidden deep inside that he knew...or thought, rather, she was afraid to let out. That was before she pulled his head down for his lips to make contact with hers.  
  
Hermione raised her hands to his neck to pull her body closer to his; all the while their tongues fenced back and fourth in each other's mouth. His hand went up to the back of her neck to give him more access to her, and when he pulled away, she gave a small whimper of protest. He dove into her exposed neck, showering the silken skin with kisses and small licks. Hermione's gloved hands slid down to Draco's waist, and as if by some primitive force pushed her hips harder into his. She smiled to hear him groan into her neck, and paid for it dearly when she felt a sharp, light bite on her neck. Draco felt that he couldn't get enough of his soft willing body in his hands, her smell intoxicated him to the point of insanity.  
  
"Merlin spare me Hermione, if we don't stop I'm afraid we are going to miss whatever we came here to do." Draco mumbled into her lips, still not to stop tasting her sweet skin in his mouth.  
  
At that comment, a sharp knock on the door signaled their coach in the front of the inn waiting to take them to their destination. They reluctantly broke apart, wanting to continue this newfound connection between them. Hermione flew out the room with a fierce blush on her face when she spied the massive bulge in Draco's tight fitting breeches.  
  
Her tossed her a sheepish smile, "I'll be just a minute, I need a bit to," he paused to find the right words, "calm myself."  
  
Draco paced the room for a full five minutes annoyed with his member for not going down. When Daisy came knocking the door, he hurriedly donned his cloak and prayed for his erection to go down before they get to the Abbey.  
  
Hermione gave him a shy smile when he slipped into the carriage, strangely reminding him of the ones that took them to Hogwarts every year.  
  
"Draco..." Hermione started, still blushing, "I'm sorry about...what just happened..." she stumbled, cursing herself internally for not being able to keep a strait train of thought when he came near here.  
  
"Hermione," he interrupted her, fully intending to stop her before she became cold and distant from him for the rest of the trip, "don't apologize, you're one hell of a kisser."  
  
She blushed, but said nothing. He noticed that she moved closer to him as the trip progressed,  
  
"Its so cold." She said, through chattering teeth.  
  
"Why didn't you say that before, your practically blue!" He slightly admonished her. He leaned over to the opposite side of the carriage, lifted open the seat and pulled out a small, but thick blanket. He sat back down, and motioned for her to come close to him. She slid over little by little, until their thighs were pressed up against each other. He spread the blanket about them both, and draped his arm over her shoulder, and when hearing no protest, brought her as close to him as her voluminous skirt would let him.  
  
"This is so strange." She said suddenly.  
  
"What is?" Draco asked, but fully knowing what she was talking about.  
  
"Us, right now, what happened back at the inn." She said with a sigh, "somehow it feels so right to me, but it's just so wrong."  
  
Draco's heart did a little leap, So, she was thinking about them as an 'us', "Well, like Professor Flitwick said, we are here so many years away from what we know, or rather, what were are told to know." He finished with a trace of bitterness in his voice that Hermione didn't fail to pick up on. "My theory on 'us' is that without the negativity of the house rivalry we gravitated towards each other."  
  
"I think its more to that," Hermione replied, "I just can't imagine us snogging in the horseless carriages back at Hogwarts...do you think its because of the spell?" She asked him hopefully, it was killing her, and she needed to find a solution. She hated the feeling that she was not control of her life, and right now, she felt just that.  
  
"It could be." He said to her, tilting her chin to look into her eyes, "are you complaining?" He asked, but didn't give her time to answer. His platinum head dipped and assaulted her lips with his own. Her hand boldly went from clasp neatly in her lap, to his thigh, dangerously close to his codpiece. He ripped his lips away from hers and saw her eyes dancing in amusement.  
  
"No, no, no," he said firmly, "I only just went down, sorry Granger, but unless you want them to think I have a sword in my pants, we have to stop." She didn't say anything, but smiled slightly. 


	7. Chapter 7 A Love for All Time

They finally arrived at their destination; all they had to do was walk from the coach in to the Abby, where they would be escorted to their pew. When they were walking to the church, arm in arm, Hermione noticed Draco was getting quite a few stares behind fluttering fans, as Draco noticed many of the young men in search for wives gave Hermione approving glances.  
  
"I wonder who they are." Hermione heard a female voice said entering the church.  
  
"That is a fine example of a man I have ever seen, and that hair, like and angel!" Another one cried out, and Hermione would have been highly amused to see another girl, barely 14 years of age, faint at the sight of Draco.  
  
Her mouth pressed into a thin line that McGonagall would have been proud of, upon seeing the looks the older woman of the court were giving Draco.  
  
"Like a boar at a Luau." Hermione muttered to herself, but Draco hearing this, had to hold back his laughter that was bubbling in his throat. So, she was jealous, that's interesting.  
  
"What was that, My Lady?" Draco asked her, trying to look innocent as possible, it had not occurred to Hermione that she still had the habit of talking out loud when she was upset. He was surprised when she decided to be honest with him.  
  
"By the end of the night, you are going to get at least five offers from women here, just remember, that they don't take regular baths, they don't shave, and they are over 500 years older than you." She finished, mentally kicking herself for sounding jealous.  
  
"I like a woman with experience." He said grinning, she looked up into his face with a full on scowl, but it faded quickly when she saw he was only joking. "Besides, I like creamy skinned, browned hair witches that are not afraid of my wand."  
  
Hermione laughed, and swatted him playfully in his chest, eliciting more than a few hostile stares from green-faced females.  
  
Silver eyes followed the couple from their entrance into the Abby, to their seats, in amazement of the resemblance to the family. Lethe Mallenfioa, a strikingly handsome man of 22 years looked at Draco in disbelief one last time before slipping into a darkened alcove in the a gigantic Abby. He walked at fast as he could without drawing attention to himself to the nearest exit. He had to tell his father about this. He would be very interested to know there was an imposter in England misrepresenting their family.  
  
The procession went on without interruption, and the mass was beautiful. Hermione only wished she could have brought her father's muggle camcorder to catch everything on film to watch it over and over. Draco smiled to himself seeing how radiantly happy Hermione was, watching History take place, he had a sudden flash of her smiling just as brightly on her wedding day. Get a grip Malfoy, wedding? He shook his head as if to expel the thoughts from his mind, but they assaulted him: Hermione on her wedding day, the wedding night, children...  
  
"Wasn't that just great?" Hermione exclaimed, gripping his arm in excitement. He snapped out of his day dream and smiled down into her face  
  
"It was amazing, I just hope you remembered half what went out, I zoned out through half of it." He said, smiling sheepishly at her. She laughed and swatted him on the head with her fan, "you will never change." She laughed. Again, a common comment that was to be taken lightly brought Draco to a stop, you will never change, he knew Hermione meant it in a non-Voldermort way, but he could help but get an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
"Are you ok, Draco?" she asked him, bringing him back into reality. Her looked into his face, her eyebrows creased together in worry.  
  
"I'm fine, I'm just wondering how we are going to make it to Hampton Court in time, look at the traffic." He pointed outside, carriages as far as the eye can see, in rows, waiting for their turn to pick their master.  
  
"Oh we are never going to get there in time!" Hermione cried upon seeing the queue of people, she looked around; the church was still packed to the brim.  
  
"We can apparate." He said slyly to her.  
  
"I was thinking that, but I don't want to take any chances you know...next thing you see we end up in the Royal chamber while your highness is taking a wiz in the golden chamber pot." She finished, eliciting a bark of laughter from Draco, who in turn, got stares and frowns for laughing in such a public place.  
  
"If you like, you and your husband can join me, I am next in line to go to Hampton Court." A low masculine voice said from behind Hermione and Draco. They turned around to stare into the visage of a much older Draco.  
  
"How...-" Hermione looked at the man in amazement, he was by far older than Hogwart's Draco, but the family resemblance was there for everybody to see.  
  
"Thank you, lead the way." Draco said curtly, drawing a confused look from Hermione. She knew that Draco was much more selfish that anybody she knew. If he trusted this man with his wellbeing, so could she. They walked to the nearest carriage, and Hermione gasped in wonder and the beautiful for of art. It was solid black, and the green Mallenfioa crest stood brightly against it. Tall, dark footmen waited by the horses for their master's return. Hermione shivered when one of them offered his hand for her to go in. Draco thankfully saved her by telling the man his help as not needed.  
  
The threesome sat silently, taking in each other with wary eyes. 


	8. Chapter 8 A Love for All Time

"Who are you?" The Draco look-a-like asked without any preamble. "You have our crest on your cloak, and only family is allowed that privilege. Tell me, are you a thief and murderer?"  
  
"Wow, do you always have a stick up your-" Draco said in response to his question, but Hermione elbowed him hard in the rib, causing him in wince in pain. He shot her a dirty look before continuing.  
  
"Citro Castus Vivo." Draco said, the Latin rolling clean off his tongue. The older man across from them widened his eyes in amazement, and Hermione looked at the exchange with unhidden curiosity.  
  
"How is that possible?" The man asked Draco, "we are the only ones that know that." The other man's eyes, so familiar in color to Draco's, turned cold and hostile, "Who are you?"  
  
"Listen, Gramps don't worry about it, I'm here from Hogwarts." Draco replied, getting annoyed from the man's suspicion.  
  
"Hogwarts?" He said, his tone a little more calm upon hearing something from their magical world.  
  
Draco went on to explain everything to the man, and who Hermione was as well. To much of his annoyance, Hermione turned into a giggling prat whenever this twit spoke to her.  
  
"My name is Lethe, Lethe Mallenfioa," he introduced himself formally, bowing his head to Draco and kissing Hermione's gloved hand, his lips lingered a second too long for Draco's liking.  
  
"Hermione Granger." She said, blushing as his silver eyes refused to allow her to break contact with his.  
  
"Tell me, are you always this intense?" Draco half sneered at him, jealous of the effect he was having on Hermione, "and you, remember what you told me, about the age thing, eh?" he turned on her, getting a small scowl from her.  
  
"Historical Reenactment you say?" Lethe said, changing the subject, "I feel so old."  
  
"You should, considering I am your great, great, great, great.... and many more Grandson.  
  
Hermione stifled a giggle, she knew that Draco was jealous, and Lethe was interested in her. From what she noticed about this time period, women were not extravagantly beautiful. They most looked the same. Her thoughts jumped to the Patil twins Parvati and Padma for a brief moment, thinking of the stir the two Indian beauties would have on 16th Century England.  
  
"Draco, be nice." Hermione said quietly to him. But before he could have responded to her, their carriage came to a stop in front the gates of Hampton Court. Hermione's stomach instantaneously filled with butterflies. She couldn't wait! There would be food and dancing, the Queen would be there, and she was excited to see the dresses the women wore.  
  
The threesome descended onto the cobblestone pathway leading into the great Court.  
  
"Well, it was a very good experience meeting you Draco, I am happy to see that our family still retained everything we are trying so hard to keep." Lethe said, shaking Draco's hand, while looking at Hermione. "And you, lovely, I am sorry that I didn't meet your ancestor, for I would ravish her in an instant."  
  
Hermione laughed at the outrageous compliment, fully knowing Draco neglected telling Lethe she was a muggle-born witch. "Thank you, rouge." She said, winking at him.  
  
"I shall leave my carriage and my footmen available to you," he said, walking away from them, "you can take them to whatever destination you came from before the Abbey."  
  
"How will you get home?" Hermione asked, felling badly for taking Lethe's family carriage.  
  
"I'll Apparate." He said simply, "Take care."  
  
In a distinct 'pop' Lethe was gone, leaving Draco and Hermione alone again. She turned to him, put her palm on his chest, and said, "Thank you for not telling him I was muggle-born, Draco."  
  
"I did it for both us Hermione," Draco said, his stomach rolling uneasily, not knowing if it was the heat of her hand through his shirt, or the need for food.  
  
She blinked, "Why?"  
  
"Because, he would have killed you, Hermione," her eyes here unbelieving to him, and she wore a frown where a smile was only moments ago, "Do you know what our family motto is? Cito Castus Vivo meaning: Only the Pure Live."  
  
She gasped as her hand flew to her mouth, "That's horrible!"  
  
"I'm beginning to think that too, Hermione." She noticed that tone in his voice again, the same tone when they were in the carriage going to the Abbey. He folded her arm in his and entered the Great Hall. Servants were instantly by their side to assist with their cloaks, they gave a small card to the Majordomo, and in his booming voice, he called out, "Lord Draco Malfoy and Lady Hermione Granger." They descended the stares with many pairs of eyes on them. Most of the gentry of that time, familiar with the Latin language raised their eyebrow at the Lord's name, Draco meaning Dragon, what mother would name her child that? Lustful glances were thrown Draco's way as the women of the Court thought of another grand reason he would be called the Dragon. 


	9. Chapter 9 A Love for All Time

A/N: Oh my God! I didn't not expect reviews at all! I have to Thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart for your reviews. If you keep reviewing, I promise I will keep writing. For a writer, when nobody reviews, it seems like no one is interested in the story...which I know is not true....right? ;-)  
  
If you know any D/Hr lovers, rope 'em in to the story! Thank you once again, and I am in always of need for a good Beta, so e-mail me if you are serious. Thanks!!  
  
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Draco and Hermione really did have a great time. Hermione couldn't stop thinking how handsome Draco looked with a natural smile, and how easily she fitted into his arms as they glided across the dance floor. From the back of his mind, he called the infamous Malfoy scowl on some occasions when bold men would try to cut in on their dance. One man, a Lord Robert Dudley, did manage by means of his title to dance with Hermione. He thought he was a good looking man, but there was something too fake and dangerous about him, and the questions about her family and background made her stumble over her lies. She finally had to feign exhaustion to be escorted back to Draco. Hermione wanted to laugh at the scene in front her: six young girls all vying for Draco's attention, while one would ask him a question, another spilled a drink on her dress causing her to cry and run off. The most amusing part of it was how decidedly bored Draco looked. When she came into his line of vision, she saw him visibly relax, excused himself, and walked over to Hermione.  
  
"Thank Merlin you are done!" he said, exasperated. "Those girls are driving my up the wall! I am glad we live in a time were intellectual women exists. All they wanted to know about was me, and normally that would be fine, but that is all they seemed interested in!"  
  
"Draco Malfoy, complaining about getting attention from six willing females?" Hermione asked incredulously, "we have to get you home, your mind is addled!"  
  
"Its almost midnight, we should be getting back to the inn, our time is almost up." He said, looking disappointed to leave. His time with Hermione was so many different things; he wished he had one more day with her. One more day to fall more in love with her.  
  
"Well, I guess we should be leaving then." She said, seeing the disappointment in his eyes, but not wanting to say anything. He was a proud person, and having him admit that he started to like her would be a big blow to his ego.  
  
They gathered they cloaks from the servants and made their way to the awaiting carriage. The ride back to the inn was quiet, neither wanted to break the spell they wove around each other, knowing what roles they had to go back to, what was expected of them, it was too much to think about.  
  
"Draco, I want to say that I honestly enjoyed spending time with you." She said, laying back on him. The Mallenfioa carriage was more comfortable than the inn's carriage by ten fold. The seats were packed hard with wool, and covered by velvet, giving them a soft and warm seat. Because of its magical owners, the carriage stayed a comfortable temperature so that neither Hermione nor Draco didn't need their cloaks.  
  
"I never thought I would say this, but I really like you Hermione, you are a genuine person. Not like the fake nancies in Slytherin." He said, looking into her warm chocolate eyes, "I guess that's why you're a Gryffindor."  
  
After some minutes of silence, Hermione thought of gong back to Hogwarts, back into the roles they had to play. She realized she didn't want this feeling she had to Draco to end. "Draco," she whispered softly to him, "I may regret this, but could you kiss me one last time?"  
  
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TurkishAngora – Always have a place in my heart...my very first reviewer, ever! Spaced Out Space Cadet Mimi2 mermaidQt mary boleyn regina-terrae Legessa - I am in love with historical romances, you may want to check out Bertrice Small, she is the Queen of Historical smuttiness. ali potter dracohermioneluver Lil-frankie14 - I changed it, so now I am accepting ALL reviews! Ruinsul - Yes, you're right, snogging is one hellofva funny word...its reminds me of pigs kissing. Gross. 


	10. Chapter 10 A Love for All Time

A/N: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews! I have to warn you there is a heavy "R" rating in this chapter, so those who shouldn't be reading it...and are anyway, shame on you! I apologize for the shortness of the previous chapter but I wanted you to be held in anticipation...yum ( Again, thank you to all my wonderful reviews, and remember, its you guys that make me want to write.  
  
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He didn't even acknowledge the answer; he was waiting all night to kiss her again. This time her lips were soft under his, and she brought her hand up to his cheek. His hand went behind her neck to kiss her more deeply, sucking and pulling on her tongue, she moaned in he back of her throat. His other hand we to her waist, pulling them closer, and unknown to them, the back of the seat slowly reclined into flat surface. The two starry- eyed lovers lay on their sides facing each other, fencing their tongue in an ago old battle. From the small of her back, Draco moved his hand lower and lower, until his was able to grab her butt and press it hand against his body.  
  
Hermione moaned a little harder, feeling Draco's erection on her womanhood drove her insane with anticipation, for what she didn't know. All she did know is that she wanted more. Draco cursed her voluminous skirts, and her too tight corset. Getting frustrated, he took out his wand and muttered /i, Hermione found herself stark naked except for the garter and the stockings she wore under the dress.  
  
Draco looked at her in awe; he never saw such a perfect body in his life. She excited him, raised his temper, he loved and hated her, but she was a beautiful woman. Looking him directly in the eye, she waited for him to strip. Muttering the same charm, Draco joined Hermione in the splendid, erotic aura they created. She lay quietly watch at the clothing off Draco's back disappeared into the darkness of the carriage. Clothed, Draco Malfoy was impressive, naked, he was magnificent. Perfectly proportioned, he had legs and a chest that was fitting for a seeker. His mouth closed in on hers and Hermione felt no resistance in herself at all. His lips were warm and experienced, and she felt a delicious thrill run through her as she realized that he was wooing her, really seeking her favor. He covered her face with little kisses then took her lips again, this time parting them masterfully, touching only the very tip of her tongue with his. The effect was devastating and she shivered violently.  
  
One hand traced gently over her jaw line, her slim throat, and rounded shoulder, moving downward to cup a small breast already firm with desire. The warm mouth followed the fingers, kissing, tasting, biting playfully. She was turned, her long hair pushed aside the back of her neck tenderly saluted, the long line of her back lovingly traced in fire. She gasped, then blushed pinks as her buttocks were kissed then gently nipped.  
  
His kisses branded each long leg at the rounded calve and slim ankles. He sucked on her toes, and Hermione came close to fainting, so sensuous was that sensation. She was turned again to lie once more on her back while his lips began an upward sweep of loving. He inhaled the marvelous woman smell of her that was mixed with the scent of wild roses. He lunged reveling in the pure silk of her inner thighs, the moist coral flesh of her womanhood.  
  
"Let me love you, Hermione." She heard him say, and her own voice sobbed, "Yes!"  
  
He was unbelievingly gentle, raising her just slightly, and slowly, so slowly filling her full of himself, until he reached the barrier that kept her a girl and made her a woman. He looked at her incredulously, his stormy gray eyes wide with surprise, "You're a virgin?" he just about whispered to her before he plunged quickly and filling himself in her she thought surely she would burst. His lean body covered her petite one as the snows covered the land. She was pressed deeper and deeper down into the carriage mattress as he drove deeper and deeper into her willing flesh. This boy she once thought was the bane of her existence sought to give her pleasure, a pleasure she had believed possible only with true love.  
  
She could feel something in her, something so wonderful rising fast, and she cried out, wanting him to know, "Oh, Draco, I never knew!" Then she was lost in a storm so passion as great as any storm she had experienced in the highlands at Hogwarts, and she heard him cry out as well.  
  
He rolled off of her panting for air, and gathering the blanket from their feet, he enveloped her in his embrace, and promptly fell to sleep.  
  
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Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, it may get a little funny plot wise from here on it, so sick with me, ok? luv-bug21, kat6528, thebluemarshmallow (I am a romantic myself, I hope I didn't disappoint!), alka, Orchid6297, arti-girl, angel-dolphin1, catheirnecat20, dracohermioneluver (again! thanks for reviewing again!), Ruinsul (again too!), Chillkat, mk2kool, mk2kool, Emma_lee14 (Hey Emma, I fully intend on finishing this fic! I absolutely loath when writers start on a fic and get fans just to say "Sorry, life took over...here is what is going to happen...") Thank you all!! Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but this is where things gets interesting...Dun-duh-duhhhhhh! 


	11. Chapter 11 A Love for All Time

A/N: Thanks again for the great reviews...but I notice they are not coming in anymore ( you guys aren't interested anymore? Just a note, Francis (of whom you will read in a second) was a real person. He was a first cousin with King James the first, and what Draco says about him was true. Thanks guys!  
  
***  
  
The morning dawned cold and bright, but the inhabitants of the enormous black coach parked outside of the inn slept soundly in each other's embrace. Draco was the first to get up, slightly confused about his nakedness, the coach, and the warm body next to him, then the memories of last night came rushing back. His eyes widened as he looked into the peaceful, yet glowing face of Hermione Granger. Her head on his shoulder, her arm across his stomach, and her leg was carelessly thrown across his privates, which was now throbbing with his normal morning erection.  
  
"Hermione?" Draco whispered softly into her ear, not wanting to wake her up. She stirred slightly, muttering something about 'Saturday' and 'God save the Queen' before her eyes sprang open and her breathing stopped.  
  
"What did we do?" she asked, quickly sitting up, clutching the blanket to her exposed breast. She looked like a panicked kitten cornered by a vicious dog. He reached over to touch her shoulder, but she moved away from him, like if his touch would burn the skin off her bones.  
  
"Hermione, please, just listen..." he started, strangely hurt and thoroughly confused by her reaction. She looked around the carriage like if the walls were getting smaller and smaller, then she eyes rested on his confused ones.  
  
"Why are we still here Draco?" she asked, on the verge of tears, "we shouldn't be here! The spell was supposed to bring us back to Hogwarts when the class ended!" The realization of her fears hit Draco like the Hogwarts Express. She was right, it would have been very interesting for them to transport back in the situation they were in right now. He grimaced at the thought of Potter and Weasel's reaction to him and Hermione sleeping naked in a coach after taking her virginity. He could have imagined having to dodge Unforgivable Curses from not only the both of them, but from Pansy as well.  
  
"Listen, maybe something went wrong, let's get dressed, and go back into the inn," he said, cupping her face in his hands, "It will be ok." She nodded dumbly, but calmed down enough to realize that she was naked, and she was sore between her legs. Her eyes widened considerably when she pulled the cover off to reveal brownish stains on the inside of her thighs; she pulled the cover back over her body. She looked up and Draco was dressed already, It's so easy for guys, she thought, but he looked as handsome at last night. Hermione did not even want to consider how completely awful her appearance was at that moment.  
  
"I'll wait outside, the charm you may want to use is Vestio," Draco told her halfway out the carriage, "If you need help, call out."  
  
Hermione found her wand that was still neatly tucked into her sheer gold stockings. She took it out and muttered the charm. In an instant, she was dressed to way she was before; she blushed profusely thinking about the night before. When she returned to Hogwarts, she would have some serious thinking to do, but now, she had to keep her wits about her to make sure her and Draco got home. She climbed out the carriage, Draco waiting to help her down.  
  
She gasped at seeing the Mallenfioa carriage in the day. The ebony black horses where the biggest ones she had ever seen in her life. They were at least seven feet tall with large protruding black eyes. The driver and footmen were no where to be found, but the horses stood there, calm and awaiting instructions. She wanted to touch them, but thought better of it, not knowing how panicky the horses were with strangers.  
  
She turned to Draco who was looking around with a frown on his face, "You ready?" she asked him, "what's wrong?"  
  
"The footmen are not supposed to leave the horses alone, someone may come by and steal them." He told her, putting one hand on the horse's large neck. He looked at it and whispered something into its ear. The horse regarded him with great bulging eyes, and started to move towards the stabled in the back of the inn.  
  
"How did you do that?" Hermione asked, looking at the back of the carriage as it slowly made its way to be ended by the stable boys.  
  
"I figure the horses belong to my family, they are bound to listen to me." He replied, and then tossing her a disarming smile, "Are you ready?" He offered his arm to her and they walked the short distance to the front of the inn. She took the arm and smiled up at him.  
  
"How are you err...feeling this morning?" he asked her hesitantly, his voice full with concern. Hermione blushed, but thanked the brisk morning for keeping her cheeks cool, "I feel fine, a bit, um, sore, but no worse for wear."  
  
"Isn't it strange how its November in the 16th Century yet almost the second week in February back at Hogwarts?" she asked him, walking through the inn's door that Draco held open for her. "I totally forgot the Coronation took place in November, I was still thinking it was February." Draco replied to her question.  
  
They bother were greeted by a small, well-dressed man Hermione guessed was Daisy's uncle. "Can I help you, my Lord?" the man asked them, bowing.  
  
"Yes, we came yesterday from Hogwarts for the Coronation, could somebody please escort my Lady and myself to out rooms that we can change?" Draco said in a no-nonsense tone. The man's eyebrows came together in a fashion that worried Hermione.  
  
"You may not remember us, but Daisy helped me with my dress yesterday." She said, remembering that neither her nor Draco met the small man yesterday.  
  
"Is that so?" the man asked, still confused, "Daisy darling, come here, do you remember this Lady, you helped her with her dress for the Coronation."  
  
Daisy's eyes regarded Hermione with no trace of recognition on the girl's face, "I'm sorry Uncle, but I do not recognize the lady at all."  
  
Hermione gasped in disbelief, it was impossible, they were here only but a few hours ago! "Daisy, are you sure, don't you remember my self, and Lord Draco?" Hermione's tone went from calm to pleading, "You helped me pick out this dress!"  
  
Draco put his hands on Hermione's warm shoulders, something was definitely wrong, and he had a feeling it had something to do with last night. "Kind sir, my wife is a little addled, we have traveled far, could you please offer a room?" Hermione shot Draco a nasty look but held her silence. She figured he was trying to get privacy so that they could talk about what their next move was. She was scared beyond words, knowing that her life was not in her own control, that her existence was being controlled by a broken spell.  
  
"Certainly, please, follow Daisy, she will take you to a room." The innkeeper said, watching the couple with skeptical eyes. From the far corner of the room, a Young Francis Stewart Hepburn, the last Earl of Bothwell watched the exchange between the innkeeper, the young wench, and the young couple. He thought it was odd they would talk about the Coronation, but he had seen stranger things in life.  
  
***  
  
Thanks for my wonderful but scant reviewers: Pirate Lass, Chillkat, mermaidQt, Ruinsul (I thought it was the thing to say...you know build the excitement :-) thanks for the review), mLE(), mirandam, flower.OF.eden, dracohermioneluver (you again!)  
  
My next update may not come until after April 13. My fiancée is taking me to Italy for my birthday, so there will be no way to update. Sorry guys! I will try and put a chapter up before I leave on the 5th. Enjoy the story! And thanks for the reviews...but if I don't get any...there is no use for me to keep writing every night if people don't care about it... 


	12. Chapter 12 A Love for All Time

A/N: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews, but to tell you the truth, I'm not going to stress myself out over this story. I really put a lot into it...and it seems that reviews are scant. But anyway, Italy was amazing! Absolutely ...just breath taking. I went everywhere in Rome and made a quick side trip to Florence. The only bad thing is the flight. Nice hours just sitting there...oh man. To tell you the truth, I'm 5' 10", most of my height is in my legs, they are just long...and Merlin...to be jammed up there for nine hours was just excruciating. Word to the wise, if you have a long flight like I did, spend the extra 100 and get first class. I apologize for the shortness of the chapters...I am not good at all at dividing chapters up...not good at all. So we meet Francis. He IS a real person, I didn't make him up. Well, enjoy!  
  
The Earl of Bothwell would be later known in life he would become to be known as the Uncrowned King of Scotland, much to his cousin, King James' chagrin. What Francis was, Jemmie was not. He was a most bonnie man, with the mind to match. His mind, and knowledge of things beyond the realm of the church was to be Hepburn's downfall later in life. Some say it was jealousy, others say it was James's mortal fear of his cousin wanting to displace him and be the next King, that drove James to exile his once beloved cousin from Scotland, stripped of his land and title. But Francis knew the real meaning, Jemmie was terrified of all things unnatural, and his advisors planted the seed early in James' mind that Francis was a warlock. His brilliant skill for healing, the way the public was enamored with him, even James's own wife, Queen Anne, supported Francis.  
  
In the present, before any of those events were to happen, the Young Earl of Bothwell's eyes followed Draco and Hermione. Francis always thought himself born in the past, that his soul was switched with another that was destined to live in such medieval times. His ideas were too modern that there were whispers already in the royal household of witchcraft and black magic. There was something about those two that he felt was greatly out of place, and he intended on finding out.  
  
Draco and Hermione were escorted to the same room they arrived in the day before. They tanked Daisy, and asked her to bring breakfast as soon as possible.  
  
"Before we do anything, lets get into our school robes, they should be around here..." he looked around, silver eyes gazing into the corner where he left his school uniform the day before. It was empty, the while room was void of anything personal, not a hairbrush or a bottle of perfume, "somewhere."  
  
"I'll go in the other room to check if my things are there." Hermione told him, noticing the frown appearing on his handsome visage. "Maybe my things are there."  
  
When she opened the connecting door, the room was just the same as it was the day before, except there was no uniform. She ran to the closet, which housed dresses similar to one she wore, but no black Hogwarts school robes. "Bloody hell..." she muttered, using the same swear that Ron was particularly fond of. Then she thought of them...Ron, Harry, Ginny, what if she never saw them again? Panic rose in her, but she willed herself to bury it. She and Draco were two of the most brilliant wizards at Hogwarts, they would figure something out.  
  
She decided to borrow a dress from the closet, considering that this gown practically screamed robbery if they decided they had to leave the inn. She chose a warm wool skirt, and a white silk men's shirt. The skirt was a dull brown, but it went past her ankles to assure her legs would say warm. Under the skirt she wore thick stockings, opting to keep the silks ones on incase the wool chafed her skin. On her feet were sturdy leather boots that looked rather expensive, but shrugged when seeing the person had four pairs just like it. Across her shoulder, she affixed a plaid banner; she didn't know whose banner it was, remembering in her muggle studies that plaids and banners were like a family's last name. What she didn't notice during the shedding of her clothes was that the platinum ring that was given to her and Draco by the Professors now sported a second emerald in place of the Hufflepuff Amber stone. When she finally joined Draco in the other room, she saw her dressed similarly to her, but he looked warmer.  
  
"You look very nice." He said when seeing her come back into the room to join him for breakfast, the 16th century garb fit her just perfect.  
  
"You don't look to bad yourself, by the way, I'm keeping all the jewels I was wearing last night, if no one remembers us, then no one will certainly miss those diamonds. She told him, sitting at a small table that was situated in front of a rather large bay window. "We may need to pawn them to pay for our stay here."  
  
"Gryffindor Granger, always thinking ahead." Draco teased her, and sat down to join her for breakfast. It was a simple oat stirabout with honey, several boiled eggs, and a hard sharp cheese with bread still warm from the ovens. They ate silently for some minutes when a knock on the door brought them both to their feet.  
  
Draco walked to the door, and putting one hand on his wand, and the other on the door, he yelled out, "Who's there?"  
  
"Lord Francis Stewart Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, cousin to King James." Came the rather bored sounding reply.  
  
"What business do you have?" Draco asked, still suspicious, they didn't know anybody in this time period, why would someone seek them out.  
  
"I would like to have a word with you." The voice traveled through the thick wood.  
  
"Draco, if he were here to rob us, I don't think he would have knocked." Hermione said, getting annoyed. He rolled his eyes at her and opened the door to be greeted by a young and handsome friendly face.  
  
"Hello my Lord and Lady, I was downstairs when you came in with your finery on claiming to have just come from the Queens Coronation," Francis said, smiling at both Draco and Hermione.  
  
"Come in sir, sorry my...friend here is being rather boorish," she elbowed Draco out of the way to let the young man in. He still hadn't taken his hand off waist where his wand was.  
  
"You friend, I thought he called you his wife!" Francis said surprised.  
  
"Well...you see..." Hermione said, damming herself for slipping up, but Draco came to the rescue.  
  
"She is my fiancée, we are to be married shortly, isn't that right poppin?" he said, throwing her a too sweet smile from behind the Earl's head.  
  
Hermione smiled back at him in response, but stuck her tongue out at him when the Earl turned to look at Draco.  
  
"You see, I find that rather peculiar, very peculiar indeed." Francis said, noting the playful hostility between the two.  
  
"Why is that?" Draco asked, taking his gaze off Hermione's tongue to look into the serious green eyes of the Earl.  
  
"Because the Coronation was over 45 years ago young man, the Queen is rather sick, and just named her predecessor King James VI." Francis told the dumbfounded couple, and waiting to see their reaction.  
  
"What?" Hermione said, astounded.  
  
"My dear, the event you are talking about happened November 17, 1558." The earl said, not at all alarmed that these two people didn't know what day it was.  
  
"No..." Hermione said, falling into the seat nearest her.  
  
"What...what date is it?" Draco asked, rather going into the Dark Forest singing vile songs about its inhabitant's than hearing the man's answer.  
  
"Why, its February 1st, 1603." The Earl said, and with cat like reflexes, caught Hermione before she hit the floor in a dead faint.  
  
***  
  
mirandam (Sorry for the chappy shortness! I will try my absolute best to divvy the chapters up so that they are longer.) LifeNotsSoBad, ckrfan (You have NO idea...the plot takes the biggest twists and turns that even I was surprised where Draco and Hermione was leading me), Burnsybabe, angel- dolphin1, Spaced Out Space Cadet, OBXglider(), gReEneyEdRebELgurl (lol sniff a hog, ewwwww), Legessa (thanks for the support!), Orchid6297, Ruinsul (not really...I really don't want to work in a child into the story because then I would have to develop it...and I don't know how children are.), dracohermioneluver, NumberOneNightOwl 


	13. Chapter 13 A Love for All Time

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! Since I promised longer chappys, I wanted to put this one to add to the pervious one. I just suck at dividing chapters, sorry guys. It is rather beautiful here in New York, baseball and the beach is on my mind. Like I said before, Francis is a real guy, and I said in Chapter 12 that what Draco said was true, then in reading Chap 12 over, I realized Draco didn't say anything about him. That little comment was meant for this chapter, sorry for the mix up. Well, I'll go watch my baseball, and you guys enjoy the story! Till next week!  
  
"Tell me truthfully how you can to be here and I will help you," Francis told the platinum haired boy that was pacing the room.  
  
When Hermione fainted dead away, Draco's heart fell to the floor. He realized that she was the only one between them that knew any Mediwizard Spells, he never felt so helpless in his life. The Earl of Bothwell came to Hermione's rescue by taking a feathered quill that lay on the desk, and lit it on fire; she started to cough the instant the retched smoke filled her nose.  
  
"Oh Merlin, we're still here aren't we?" she queried, peering into the two worried faces of the Earl and Draco. If the Earl was surprised in Hermione's choice of deity to swear on, his face didn't betray it, but Draco's eyes became wide, and quickly asked, "Hermione, how are you feeling?"  
  
She looked up at him, her brown eyes shining with tears; she refused to shed in front of both men. Sensing her emotional dilemma, Draco gave her a reassuring smile and put one hand on the Earl's shoulder. "Why don't we go down to the kitchens and see of the innkeeper has lunch, we would be honored if you could join us for lunch." Instantly understanding, the Earl squeezed Hermione's hand and they both walked to the heavy oak door, she could hear Francis from inside telling Draco, "My boy, I have stayed at this inn before, and I can attest to the finest rabbit stew in the whole of England!"  
  
Silent tears slipped down Hermione's face, and for the second time in her life, feeling completely and utterly helpless to her surroundings. She rose from the bed and walked over to the frosted window, it had begun to snow. With her finger she started to trace H-O-M-E in the window when she suddenly stopped moving, and her eyes fell on the two blazing green emeralds on the Hogwarts ring.  
  
"Oh...my..." Hermione said to herself, still gazing at the ring. Why in the world...what happened to the Amber stone? Her mind raced furiously thinking of any reasons why the stone would turn green...then it hit her and her eyes opened in realization...she and Draco...having sex, it must have done something to the magic in the ring. She cried out in exasperation, she wished she could run to the library at Hogwarts to see what the bloody hell was going on! She decided to wait till Draco came back with their lunch, maybe having a full stomach, they both could figure out what to do.  
  
Her wish was shortly granted when Draco walked into the room closely followed by Francis, and two maids that bore two very large trays of food. While the two giggling girls set up the food, Draco came over to Hermione and sat on the bed, giving her a scrutinizing look. Ever since last night, or 45 years ago...whatever happened, he felt some sort of window open in his mind. And through that window came a fresh spring breeze that was blowing away everything thing he knew, his beliefs, his thoughts, his mind that was frozen in a tundra of what he thought was to be eternal darkness. But looking at the beautiful, strong-minded, and most infuriating person he ever met, he was starting to second guess his life as a Death Eater...but some things can't ever change.  
  
"Hermione?" he said softly, breaking her concentration, she looked up into his comforting gray eyes and smiled. He sighed; she was ok.  
  
"What's for lunch?" she asked, getting off the bed and walking over to the table. Smells were assaulting her left and right, and her stomach growled in anticipation. Her hand flew to her stomach blushing, "I'm starving."  
  
Draco smiled at her, and motioned for her to sit down. "The Earl here managed to get us a decent meal, on his coin, mind you."  
  
Hermione looked up and the kind man and smiled, "Oh, Francis, you didn't have to do that!"  
  
"I know," he said dryly, "Draco here almost threw me out the window, so insistent was he to pay." Then he leaned close to her and whispered to her, but deliberately loud enough for Draco to hear, "Tell me, my Lady, does he always call people who try to help him a 'stupid git'?"  
  
Hermione laughed and threw a mock look of disapproval to Draco, who shrugged his shoulders sheepishly, "Shall we eat?"  
  
The meal was simple by the Earl's standards, but Draco and Hermione were more than happy with the bounty in front of them. There was tender rabbit stew from the innkeeper's own stock, a rather large bowl of oysters, prawns, and shrimp that were cooked in white wine. A whole small salmon that was broiled and stuffed with fresh watercress and a plate of sliced beef that was swimming in its juices. There was also bread fresh from the ovens, a runny Brie cheese from France, and white or red wine for the Lady or fresh October Ale for the men.  
  
They ate heartily in silence, each thinking their own private thoughts. Hermione's mind was still thinking about the new stone on her ring, the Earl was thinking about his strange new acquaintances, and Draco couldn't keep his eyes off of Hermione's rosy cheeks, that still glowed from the night before.  
  
When the maids came to clear the trays from the table, the Earl raised himself from his seat, and walked over to Hermione, "I have had a wonderful time meeting both of you, you both are strange indeed, but I am here to help you get back to wherever it is you are from."  
  
Hermione's breath caught in her throat, what did Draco tell him? Her eyes quickly searched Draco's face, but he was just as surprised as Hermione. "I- I don't know what you mean Francis!" she replied, with a little shove on his shoulder.  
  
"I always said I was born in the past, that my mind is far too advanced than the church will allow. I believe things happen, strange things happen for a reason, that not everything is by God's doing. You two, you have come from a different time, that I know," he raised his hand to stop Hermione from denying the claim, giving a worried glance at Draco, she saw his hand was resting on the stop where his wand was hidden in his belt. "But I am here to help! Don't you see, this is what I have been waiting for! I knew things like this were possible, but I would be a condemned man to say it."  
  
"Will you tell?" Hermione asked, fidgeting with the plaid sash on her shoulder.  
  
"No! By the Gods!" the Earl exclaimed, "This is wonderful, to meet two travelers such as yourselves, if I were to have the mindless beliefs of the people today, you would have been dead."  
  
"You would have never made it out the door." Draco said quietly, knowing he would have in fact killed his man, or any person for that matter, that put his or Hermione's life in danger.  
  
"I don't doubt you for a second, Lord Malfoy, but as I am very, very late in meeting my mistress, I will leave you both with words of advice: If you are going to be traveling, say you are under the protection of the Earl of Bothwell, if you will be needing funds, go to the house of the Kiras, they are a very old, secure, and safe Jewish banking family, I have sent a note already to the Kiras in London, I pray you, don't bankrupt me. And here," the Earl took a ring of his hand, and a pin from his cloak, and handed Draco and Hermione respectively, the items. "That is my family seal, if ever you need be in correspondence with me, secure the envelope with hot wax and the seal, find a messenger and he will find me."  
  
"Oh, Francis, why do you go out of your way to help us when you have only just met us?" Hermione asked, fingering the gold seal, then looking up at him. "You don't intend to trick us do you?"  
  
"If he did do you think he would tell us?" Draco asked, his eyebrow up, and looking at Hermione in a mocking way.  
  
"Trust in me my Lord and Lady," he said, noting the exchange with interest, "I must bid you farewell, I fear my lateness with cost me a fine ring or necklace for the harping wench." He turned to Hermione, "That plaid banner you wear is that of the Leslie clan, neighbors of mine, won't do you much good traveling the roads of England, but it will grant you safe passage in Scotland, for not even the maddest of men would harm a Leslie lass. Lord Malfoy, Lady Hermione." And with that he was gone from the room, leaving Draco and Hermione alone once more.  
  
"What a strange man, wonderful, but odd." Hermione said, looking up at Draco who was securing the door, incase the Earl did go to the authorities; they would have a hell of a time getting through the thick wood.  
  
"He is going to be exiled you know," Draco said, matter of factly. "King James loves him now, but will end up hating him in the end." He came over to his seat and plopped down, "I think it was because of a woman."  
  
"A woman? Really?" Hermione said, leaning over the table to listen to Draco, "But they always called James a.... err... Happy."  
  
Draco laughed, "If by 'happy' you mean 'gay' then yes, he is more happy than you in the library."  
  
They shared a small laugh, then Hermione remembered she had to talk to Draco about the ring, but he started talking before she could, "We need to get up to the Mallenfioa estate, I just don't know where it is."  
  
"What do you mean you don't know, isn't it in the same location you live it?" Hermione asked, shocked at the new piece of information.  
  
"Well, when they started persecuting wizards, we changed our name to 'Malfoy' and changed the location of the estate, making it unfindable and unplottable, but it should be still there for us to get there." He replied, taking a shiny apple and biting into it.  
  
"How will we get there? How will we know where it is?" she asked, getting frantic, she started to pace around the room. "We don't know how much time we have, what if we take too long to figure out a way back? What if we are never born? What if we alter history in some way? What if we are stuck here forever?" she shrieked, borderline hysterical.  
  
Draco got up and put his hands on her shoulder to stop her from pacing, he shook her slightly and spoke to her in sharp tones. "Listen Granger, I don't want to be stuck here either. I can't have you go crazy on me when you're the smart one! We need to get to my family's estate, they are the only magical people we know."  
  
She shook her head as if to shake off a bad dream, she looked into Draco's eyes and saw fear there, he didn't want to be here either, we will find away to get out of here. "I-I'm sorry Draco."  
  
"We will take the Mallenfioa carriage, those horses are magical, they should know the way home," he said, packing up their scant things. Hermione muttered a spell, and the jewelry she wore the night before magically shrunk small enough to fit into a coin purse. She put it in a leather satchel that she had "borrowed" from the same Leslie people she had borrowed the plaid banner from. She put a spell to make the bag as light as a feather, shrink whatever was put in it, and couldn't be separated from her unless she gave it freely.  
  
"My God woman, are you going to war?" Draco asked, overhearing all the protective spells she was placing on the bag.  
  
"Never can be too careful." Hermione muttered.  
  
They left the comfortable room with one last look around for a doorway back home, having no luck. They descended the stairs, and were instantly greeted by the innkeeper, who was looking rather jovial. "How are you feeling my Lord?" he asked Draco, who still getting used to being called 'My lord', "The Lady and myself are fine, we will be leaving now. About the payment..." but the innkeeper interrupted him.  
  
"Paid by the Lord Hepburn, he also paid for another weeks stay as well," he responded, bright-eyed.  
  
"That won't be necessary, we will be leaving today, you can refund me the money and I shall see it be returned to him, and could you please have our carriage pulled around?" Hermione said, taking the lead of the snooty Lady, if one-thing men knew it was never negotiate prices with a Lady.  
  
The innkeeper's face fell, "Yes, My Lady." He turned away from them to get the money, barking at a stable boy to bring round the horses.  
  
Draco gave her an interesting look, and whispered, "Very good Granger, you would make an excellent hostess."  
  
Hermione forced the smile to stay on his lips, he called me Granger, she thought. Maybe it was a one-time thing; he couldn't possibly go back to treating me the way he did.  
  
A small boy that couldn't have been older than 12 or 13 approached him hesitantly, "Mum, Sir, I do not see your horses." The poor boy was scared out of his wits, he would surely get beaten for his from the inn-keeper.  
  
"What?" Draco and Hermione asked at the same time, "what do you mean you don't see them! They are seven bloody feet tall!" Draco roared at the boy who had turned a sickly ashy color.  
  
Hermione shot him a disapproving look, she stepped forward, and asked the boy in soft tones, "What's you name?" His response was Tom, "Well, Tom, do you know what happened to the horses?"  
  
"Yes mum, two big footmen came this morning, not long after the horses came into the shed, and took them away, didn't give the poor beasties food or water," he said a little confidently, now that Hermione was blocking Draco's murderous glare.  
  
"What is going on here?" the innkeeper asked, noticing that the couples weren't gone yet. "Where are the horses boy?"  
  
"They gone, sir." Tom replied hesitantly, a loud smack was heard, and Tom was on his back, five feet away, crumbled in a little ball. Hermione ran to the little boy as Draco turned on the man, who now coward as Draco seemed to grow a foot taller.  
  
"That was very unnecessary," Draco whispered through gritted teeth, fully knowing what it was like to be a beaten child, a punishment he wished on no innocent. "Apparently, my footmen look the horses back to the estate," he looked over to Hermione who was helping the dazed boy to his feet. "Hold on to that money from the Earl, feed, clothe and shelter this boy, I will write to the Earl asking him if he is in need of one more stable boy."  
  
The innkeeper turned an ugly red mottled color, "You-you cannot take him, he is my servant!"  
  
"Then the Earl will buy him from you, do as I say or you will be very sorry," Draco snarled at the angry innkeeper.  
  
When Draco went to a table to write a short note to the Francis, Hermione spoke quietly to the boy, "Take these." She gave him a small coin purse filled with silver and few gold coins, "that should last you about a month, the Earl of Bothwell will come to take you from his horrid man, I promise you."  
  
He silently took the purse, willing himself not to cry, it wasn't everyday people of the nobility cared for a motherless urchin as himself.  
  
Draco came up behind her and put a warm hand on her shoulder, "I managed to get two good horses from here, when we hit the town we can ask for directions to the estate."  
  
Hermione nodded, turned back to little Tom, kissed him on the cheek to which he furiously blushed. "Be good, ok Tom?"  
  
He looked up at her with green eyes that were so much like Harry's, "Yes mum, I'll make you proud, I promise!"  
  
She smiled at him, got up, and left the inn with Draco by her side.  
  
***  
  
Thanks again to my great reviewers: NumberOneNightOwl, luv-bug21 (Yes, when D/Hr made lurve, something magical happened, which will be explained in later chapters. And YES more smut is coming up!), zara1717, dracohermioneluver (Yes, rather odd indeed, can you imagine if it happened to canon Hermione? She would wreak havok!), Burnsybabe, (I know its confusing, but it will be explained, just know that after Draco and Hermione did "it", something happened that caused them to jump 45 years), FlameWriter008 (Thanks for the tough love lol!), coolcat411, Ruinsul, Aurora626. 


	14. Chapter 14 A Love for All Time

A/N: Thanks again for my wonderful reviews; I do have a word of advice for all of you. Automatic car windows, fingers and drunken people don't mix. Yea....my cousin got a 'lil high and closed the car window in my middle finger...the bastard. Anyway, my typing is a bit slow as I have lost the use of my middle finger. He is totally going to get his butt whooped. Anyway, more smut ahead, so all you that shouldn't be reading this, *tsk tsk*.  
  
***  
  
"Sidesaddle?" Hermione asked incredulously, "I can't ride astride as it is, but you want me to ride sidesaddle?" Draco groaned, he was in for a long trip. He couldn't blame her for complaining, sidesaddle riding was the most uncomfortable way to ride as both feet were over one side of the horse, and the upper body still had to face forward to control the horse.  
  
"Well, I know its easier for you to ride like me, but it will draw attention, and we can't have that." Draco replied trying to keep his temper in check. If they were going to get to the Mallenfioa estate, they both would have to keep cordial.  
  
"Damn this time period...beautiful and all, but no independence at all," Hermione grumbled sitting on atop the horse. "Shall we?"  
  
He nodded and they were off, heading north towards the town, they would first stop at the banking family Francis told them about to withdraw money, then buy food and water for the trip.  
  
"How long do you think it will take for us to get to your family's estate?" Hermione asked, after a comfortable silence.  
  
"I don't know, I have never traveled the muggle way, I always Apparated," Draco replied to her, pointing to the house on the middle of the busy town. He dismounted, gave the horses to the stable men, and entered the building.  
  
A tall, lanky man with a kind face approached them, "Can I help you, my Lord and Lady?" He bowed his head to both Draco and Hermione.  
  
"Yes, I believe you can, our close friend the Earl of Bothwell contacted you about myself and the Lady to withdraw funds from his account." Draco felt his heart beating at a rapid tattoo; he hated the unknown, what if this man was a witch hunter? What if it was a trap?  
  
"Ah yes!" the man said, clapping his hands upon hearing the name, "Francis Hepburn, yes, how many notes in gold and silver would you like to withdraw?" he asked them.  
  
Draco was about to speak some modern number, which would have been considered too much for this time, Hermione put her hand on his shoulder and interrupted him. "Sir, we are not familiar with the currency, could you explain payment of certain things...like inns, food, clothes?"  
  
Draco nodded in appreciation; he was about to tell him three thousand Galleons, forgetting everything was done in gold and silver.  
  
"Of course!" the tall man exclaimed, leading them to a sitting area. While his wife served them tea, he explained the currency, how it works, and what to pay for what and not a copper less. Hermione breathed in the information like her life depended on it. She knew Draco was the type to spend money willy-nilly because it was always at his dispense, but Hermione knew better.  
  
Then after about an hour, withdrew the funds, and left the house, thanking the man, and asking him to thank the Earl for them. After asking 20 different people, each giving different directions, they finally got on the right path thanks to a member of the Queen's guard. They rode for what seemed hours, but Hermione didn't notice her aching backside, she was too astounded by the innocence of a Britain that was untouched by the Industrial Revolution. It was close to sunset when Draco spotted an inn not to far off the main road. The Jewish banker back in London warned them time and time again not to travel the roads at dark; thieves and murderers walk around, looking for easy pickings. Draco knew that he could have 'Avada Kedavra' them to oblivion and all would be well, but Hermione stressed the fact of not changing history.  
  
"But we could make it so much faster!" He argued with her, walking from the stables to the inn.  
  
"You can go right ahead you insufferable git," Hermione snapped at him. "But my backside bloody hurts, I smell like horses, and I need a bath!" She stormed into the inn, leaving Draco rather annoyed. Why in bloody hell can't she see it from my point of view?  
  
Draco stormed in after her when he noticed voices coming from the main road. He realized he had been out there for about fifteen minutes watching the sunset, thinking about strangling Hermione in her sleep.  
  
When he walked into the inn, a rather plump woman with the biggest breasts Draco had ever seen approached him. He tried hard to pay attention to her, he feared she would have toppled right over with those canons.  
  
"I'm sorry, what?" He asked, after the woman, who introduced herself as Agnes waved her hand in front of his face.  
  
"Your Lady already reserved a room, the stable boys were done not but a moment ago lugging water for her bath, would you like me to send a maid to tend to her bath?" she asked him, he only now noticed a pretty girl, not more than three hiding behind her mother's skirts.  
  
"No need, I will tend to her bath." Draco said, smiling wolfishly at the woman, who blushed in response.  
  
***  
  
Hermione sighed audibly when her body hit the scalding water. Normally, the water would have sent her screaming from the tub, but her aching bones and sore backside absorbed the heat and relaxed her. She took her wand from the side of the tub and accio-ed her bag. She dug in with wet hands to find a jar of homemade soap, as soon as it was out of the bag; it sprung to its original size. She smiled to herself in the brilliant move on her part to shrink everything in her purse.  
  
She took a great dollop of soap and started to scrub her scalp with it, the scent of roses filled the entire room. She yelped in pain as the soap ran into her eye. Totally forgetting that tear-free shampoo hadn't been invented yet, she blindly reached to the side of the tub where several buckets of water was left. Palming the water, she brought it to her eye and after ten minutes, the stinging receded and she could finally focus.  
  
Focus on Draco Malfoy sitting on the bed watching her like she was the Quidditch World Cup.  
  
She shrieked, first scared at an unknown presence in the room, then when focusing, screamed at Draco to leave her alone. Of all the most indignant things to do, spying on her while in the shower. Well...not shower per say, but in the bath.  
  
"Why, its not like I haven't seen you naked before," Draco drawled softly. Hermione was a complete vision, like Venus. Her hair was wavy from the washing, her skin was tinged pink from the heat of the bath, and her anger made her gooseflesh rise.  
  
"Get. Out. Now." Hermione said slow and low. She was mortified beyond words. What happened that night was magical, yes, but it happened because she was in an euphoric state. Now she was fully aware of Draco.  
  
"Mind if I join you?" he asked her, grinning at her discomfort. He was proud of the way Malfoy men were proud of their sexuality. Plus, the fact that he knew she looked good helped with his self esteem, if only Gra- Hermione would realize what a woman she was.  
  
"Join! Are you mad?" Hermione screeched at him, losing the washcloth that covered her breasts, "Leave Malfoy, or I will hex you till tomorrow, and be damned if I care what these muggles see." She went to reach for her wand, but in her anger, flicked it away that it rolled between two buckets. She muttered a curse under her breath and continued to bluff.  
  
"I believe you will do nothing, you are in a very vulnerable position, Lady Granger." Draco responded, reading her face for any sign of weakness, she showed none. He knew her wand was nowhere near her, but yet, she showed no sign of backing down. He admired that; it was the bloody Gryffindor in her.  
  
"Leave." She said with finality in her voice that would have sent better men scampering out the room with their tails tucked between their legs. But, he was a Malfoy.  
  
He got off the bed and walked slowly towards the tub, stripping his clothes as he came. Hermione's eyes widened and her face turned red realizing his intent.  
  
"It will be rape, Malfoy," Hermione said through gritted teeth, she refused to be bullied into moving.  
  
"Rape?" Draco asked incredulously. "I just want a bath, I have no intent on waiting an hour for water when you have an enormous tub for yourself. I find that rather selfish, really." He reached to the tub, and making eye contact with her, dropping his breeches. Hermione made a quick move to leap out the tub, but by the time she raised herself up Draco unceremoniously pushed her down by her shoulders causing her to fall back into the tub.  
  
"By Merlin Granger, you muggles really do make a mess," Draco mocked her, but his ton wasn't serious.  
  
Her face was scarlet red; her and Draco Malfoy were sharing a tub! For Merlin's sakes, they were adults, but she cursed the hot water now, adding to the rosy ness of her face.  
  
Draco looked at her with appreciation from across the tub. Her feet were up that her knees were poking out of the water, and her arms were over her chest like a chain mail that the knights used to protect themselves. He picked up the soap and lathered it onto his body and his hair.  
  
"Bloody hell Granger, I'm going to smell like a damn garden, why didn't you tell me this is your soap?" he asked, a bit outraged. He purposely brought a soap that smelled like musk and lime for his self.  
  
"You didn't ask," she replied, a ghost of a smile on her face. Her fingers and toes were getting pruney, and water was starting to make her sweat. She wanted badly to wash her face again, as the steam from the water (which she charmed to stay hot) made her face oily. She laughed out loud as there was a streak of dirt in Draco's hair that he missed while washing it.  
  
"What?" he asked, feeling self-conscious. Why would she be laughing when he was naked in a tub?  
  
"You have dirt on your head, you missed it." She told him, pointing to the general direction of his head.  
  
"Oh, that helps a lot, just point to what part of me is covered by skin, why don't you." He said, preoccupied in finding what foreign substance was marring his platinum mane.  
  
After about 15 minutes of watching Draco struggle to find it, she slid over to him carefully to keep hold of her 'valuables', she took the lock of hair that eluded him and brought it in front of his face. She expected some sort of gratitude in his face, but instead found a pained look in his eyes.  
  
She didn't understand what the look was for, she did a mental check of her own body, she was not even touching him, "Are you alright Draco?"  
  
He said nothing. He put his hand at the back of her head and crushed her mouth with a kiss. She was surprised, but not angry. Seeing Draco naked for the past half-hour did something to her. She didn't know what...but she liked it, she wanted it, and she needed it.  
  
He yanked her hard against him, and she felt his manhood pressing with some urgency against her thigh. His eyes blazed down into hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth to play with hers. Her full breasts were flattened against his broad chest. He held her face between his two hands while he continued to kiss her, his passions rising even as he felt her passions rise. "I do not believe," he said in a hard voice, "that we will ever get a change to have sex in tub." He growled. His hands plunged beneath the water and pressing her back against the side of the tub, he lifted her up, impaling her on his hardness. "Aah, my love," he groaned. She was tight and hot.  
  
Hermione's eyes closed with her pleasure as she slid her arms about his neck. He filled her with his passion, and her head fell onto his shoulder, as he loved her until their combined desire burst, leaving them both weak but sated. "I don't know what to make of you Draco Malfoy," she said softly in his ear, "I shall never forget these times."  
  
His tongue licked at her face, her throat, her chest and her shoulders as he stood, his manhood still hard and deep within her. "You consume me," he groaned softly, "I can't get enough of you."  
  
She entwined her legs about him, enabling him to press farther and he groaned again. "I want to soar," she whispered in his ear, and she licked at the curled flesh.  
  
Their bodies tightly locked together, he began to thrust and withdraw until they were both dizzy with the rapture their enthusiasm in each other gave them. The intensity of their mutual desire was intoxicating, and as their carnality overcame them, they both cried out, finally satisfied, if only briefly. Her arms still about his neck, her lags fell away from his firm body.  
  
"If I let go of you, "she said, "I shall drown here, my limps are as weak as a newborn's, Draco."  
  
He laughed softly. "You are an outrageous woman, Hermione."  
  
"We will have to get out of this water," she told him, but she still clung to him. He nodded in agreement. Lifting her up, he carried her to a stool that was set by the warm fireplace and set her down. "You dry off, I'll go finish up and join you in a moment." She took a drying cloth off a rack that was near the fireplace and started to dry off the little water that was left on her body. She turned to watch Draco walk back to the tub in his proud nakedness. She couldn't get her eyes off of him.  
  
***  
  
When they both dressed, Hermione in a nightshift, and Draco in a pants and shirt, a maid knocked the door to serve them dinner. She took up Hermione and Draco's travel worn clothes to give to the laundress for it to be ready in the morning for their departure, and left the couple.  
  
Hermione was flustered over their aquatic adventure that she couldn't look Draco in the face. It just was not like her to lost control like that. What would Harry and Ron say? She took the covers off the plates and smelled the food appreciatively, she was famished. Their long journey on horseback left them little time for food.  
  
Draco joined and they ate in relative silence, for he too was famished. There was rabbit stew, this one made with different vegetables, roasted chicken, potatoes that were seasoned with rosemary and thyme and dipped in butter, cured ham, bread from the ovens and the same sharp cheese that people of this time period loved to eat. For desert there were early strawberries with heavy creams and apple tartlets. To drink there was wine, and ale.  
  
They both ate in silence, Hermione not daring to look at Draco for the fear of raising a blush that would never leave. When finished eat their fully, Hermione yawned with content, her eyes starting to droop.  
  
"Draco, I think I'm going to bed, it's been a long day." Hermione told him, rising from the table, stretching at she got up.  
  
Draco could take his eyes off of her. Her breasts thrusted forward as she stretched, and unknown to her, the silk nightgown she was wearing was completely transparent in the firelight. He saw the contours of her body perfectly, the curve of her hips, the shadow of her mound, and silkiness of her things. He felt he was going to explode at any moment.  
  
"Draco?" her eyebrows were frowned in worry, "are you okay?"  
  
He closed his eyes and counted to three, and when he looked up at her him smiled, "Yea, I'm fine, I must have over ate." His hand going to his stomach, her eyes following.  
  
Hermione shook her head, "I know a charm for that, do you need my help?" she asked him, going toward the tub to get her wand that had rolled between the two now empty buckets.  
  
"Ah, no thanks, I'll get over it quickly enough, its all this new food." He said quickly, trying not to look at Hermione's nakedness through the silk.  
  
"Oh..." Hermione said absentmindedly, walking towards the big comfortable bed, "well, see you in the morning then." He watched as she fell asleep before her head hit the pillow, she must have been really exhausted, he thought.  
  
Draco walked over to the waning fire and chucked a few pieces of wood in it, walking back to the bed, he donned a nightdress similar to Hermione's. He groaned, wishing for a comfortable pair of boxers. He wished also that he could have slept naked, but even after doing it in a tub, he knew Hermione would still freak out at his nakedness. He crawled into the bed with her and exhaled as his tired body welcomed the softness of the bed. He smiled as Hermione's leg came over his groin and her head found that comfortable spot on his shoulder.  
  
***  
  
zara1717, regina-terrae (he called her that just to snap her to attention, remember, he IS still Draco Malfoy), blackcatgirl36 (thanks for reviewing, and if you got friends that surf thru LJ, pass the love on!), Ruinsul, Spaced Out Space Cadet, xmaverickf14x, Orchid6297, Luna Lovegood-Lamberg, Lanhar, & dracohermioneluver (thanks for being with me from the beginning, you Spaced Out and Ruinsul!)  
  
Erm, like I said, one of my fingers are MOA for the next week or so, so my typing will be dramatically slo-o-o-wer, but I will try and keep typing for you guys. See you next week! 


	15. Chapter 15 A Love for All Time

A/N: Hello all! I'm sorry for such a late update, my stupid finger was giving me problems, and it didn't help that I hurt it more bowling. ::shrugs shoulders:: I apologize in advance for the shortness of this chapter, but it gets really interesting from this point on. Thanks once more for the awesome reviews!  
  
They were on the road early the next morning, Hermione's mind reminiscing on the night before. She remembered with avid clarity her and Draco having sex in the huge wooden tub, then her mind spiraled downhill from there. She did remember vaguely eating, and climbing into bed, that is where her mind completely shut down. She awoke to find herself draped across Draco, but volunteered to stay there because he felt so damn good and warm under her limbs.  
  
Hermione smiled remembering taking in all of Draco's sleeping body, from the relaxed way his face was, the leanness of his body, and to her embarrassment his morning erection. She sighed contently and jumped when she felt Draco's fingertips brushing up and down her spine.  
  
"Good Morning." He said, his sharp gray eyes looking well rested.  
  
"Good Morning," Hermione replied, attempting to remove herself from his body, "oh, look the maid left us breakfast." She said, her cheeks blazing with embarrassment.  
  
"After what happened last night, you are still shy?" Draco asked, somewhat amused to see the proud Gryffindor blush.  
  
"Well, I am just not used to the attention of men in that way," she started, getting up from the bed and adjusting her night gown that had managed to twist itself over her hips, "remember, between being friends with Harry, Ron, George, Fred, Neville, Dean, Seamus, I don't have much time for females, why, the only one that even bothers to stick with me is Ginny."  
  
Draco raised his eyebrows at this, but wisely said nothing; it was obvious being the only girl in the group since the age of 11 didn't do much for her self-esteem.  
  
"Luna...Merlin, I like her, but sometimes she can be such an air head, Lavender and Parvati, those two have one thing one their minds...yes, only Ginny has bothered to put up with me." Hermione continued to talk from behind the changing screen, putting on the same clothes from the previous day that the inn's laundress perfectly cleaned for them.  
  
"None of those guys ever tried to get with you?" Draco asked, taking the opportunity to change his clothes as well.  
  
"Merlin no, Harry and Ron would have had a fit." She emerged from behind the screen, her wavy hair now strait and flowing down her back.  
  
"Nice." Was all Draco could have said. Her wavy hair was nice, but only on her, Hermione had a way of carrying herself that only she made beautiful. With this change, she looked like a model from Madam Malkin's catalogue that his mother got every so often.  
  
Hermione took a second to realize what he was commenting her about and shrugged, "Oh, it will be so much easier if I had it strait, that way, I can put it up incase of bad weather."  
  
She really does not know how stunning she really is. Draco agreed, "Hermione, you would look beautiful even if you wore a potato sack." Draco said walking towards the table next to the window that that their breakfast on it.  
  
Hermione only smiled to herself riding the hose hours later at the offhanded comment he made. Was Draco Malfoy changing? Merlin knows he has something to brag about if...no...when they get back to Hogwarts. There was something different about him as she snuck a look at him through the corner of her eye, and saw him looking intently at the road and the forest surrounding them. Something less selfish, and more compassionate, he smiled easier, and called her 'Hermione' like if it were normal to him all these years.  
  
His voice interrupted her thoughts, "It's going to be dark soon, and I see no sign of an inn." He sighed, not wanting to spend a night on the cold forest floor.  
  
"We have no choice, we have to rest the horses too, poor beasties have been on the road since morning with no complaint." Hermione replied, stroking the horse's neck, and getting a soft whine in response.  
  
"Ok, I see a clearing up the road, we will stay there until day break." Draco said, leading the horses off the road into a small clearing that would have looked less foreboding in the spring.  
  
Hermione got off the horse with Draco's help, and went about feeding them the oats that she stored in the saddlebag. This too was shrunk so more could be stored for safekeeping. After feeding and spreading a blanket on the horse, she joined Draco on the floor of the clearing against a tree.  
  
"Its so cold." Hermione shivered, bringing the Leslie plaid around her neck tighter, "did you forget the charm for fire?" she laughed up into his scowling face.  
  
"I can't believe it you know, one of first charms I learned when father used to take me to the woods outside the estate." Draco said rather putout.  
  
"Aduro." Hermione said, and a stream of orange came out from her wand unto the pile of wood in front of them.  
  
"That's better," he said as if he just did the charm. Hermione just closed her eyes and allowed the warmth from the fire, and Draco's body heat to lull her into a slumber  
  
airotci, thatonechic (my fav Beta, I am still writing my 20 pages, I will send it for your approval), krinker, LeslieGlady, Ashbash101, orliNkeira, Candy04, Ruinsul, promise18, Lily Bell (Yes, they will get back to Hogwarts, I can't answer the other questions though ;), dracohermioneluver, PMF, Lanhar, DarkRaven-04, pkupstx, coolcat411, Dracoluver2009 (tubs in that time was huge and deep, and it was filled by bringing buckets of water from the kitchen. They knew this, and they can't waste clean water), sparrow-heart, Spaced Out Space Cadet, xmaverickf14x, V (rather short name). Sorry again for the chappy shortness, but I hope to get my update to my beta this week and I can post by Friday! See yah! 


	16. Chapter 16 A Love for All Time

A/N: Hey guys, no update, this is just the Beta-ed version of Chapter 16 from the best Beta in the world, Shannon. No huge, plot changing differences, just basic grammar and spelling, which I totally suck at. Also, I have to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for the reviews I got; it choked me up to see how much you all cared!  
  
At the bottom of this chappy is the reviewer "shout outs" for Chapter 15, When I upload Chapter 17, I'll do the new ones.  
  
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"Ok, I see a clearing up the road, we will stay there until day break," Draco said, leading the horses off the road into a small clearing that would have looked less foreboding in the spring.  
  
Hermione got off the horse with Draco's help, and went about feeding them the oats that she stored in the saddlebag. This too was shrunk so more could be stored for safekeeping. After feeding and spreading a blanket on the horse, she joined Draco on the floor of the clearing against a tree.  
  
"Its so cold." Hermione shivered, bringing the Leslie plaid around her neck tighter, "Did you forget the charm for fire?" She laughed up into his scowling face.  
  
"I can't believe it you know, one of first charms I learned when father used to take me to the woods outside the estate," Draco said rather putout.  
  
"Aduro," Hermione said, and a stream of orange came out from her wand unto the pile of wood in front of them.  
  
"That's better," he said as if he just did the charm. Hermione just closed her eyes and allowed the warmth from the fire, and Draco's body heat to lull her into a slumber.  
  
Hours passed and it was well after midnight, the crescent moon shone above the sleeping couple. Hermione shifted, the hard floor taking a toll on her already sore bottom.  
  
"Scream and I'll be slittin' yer pretty lil throat," a raspy, voice said into her ear. Hermione's eyes sprang open and she inhaled a breath as she felt a cold object against her throat.  
  
"Wat to do wit tha other one?" A second voice said from somewhere behind her.  
  
"Kill 'im," Hermione's captor said ruthlessly. "I don't need any heroics from 'im when I'm tastin' a piece of his 'oman."  
  
"NO!" Hermione screeched, and she felt the blade pierce her skin, Draco's eyes opened and as he went for his wand, he was hit from behind by the other bandit.  
  
"Quite a fine lookin' couple to be travelin' these roads at night," her captor said into her ears, his hand slowly creeping up her ribs. Hermione tried hard not to retch.  
  
"Take what you must, please, just leave," she cried out to him, and shuddered as his hand reached his destination, her covered breast.  
  
"Leave?" He guffawed, looking over to his partner who was searching through Draco's pockets. "You 'ere that Jon, she be wantin' us to leave!"  
  
Jon looked up with a malicious glint in his eye, "Which should take her first, me or you 'Enry?"  
  
"Wake up the man, let him see us fuck his woman into the after life," Henry said meanly to Jon, who was taking the horse's water and splashing it on Draco's face.  
  
Draco sputtered to consciousness, looking dazed as to why water was being thrown on him. When the shock of the ice water wore off, his steel grey eyes narrowed malevolently on Henry, who was holding Hermione at knifepoint and groping her breast.  
  
A voice from behind him broke his glare on the fat man, "Bad idea to leave a fire burning the middle of a dark night, we m'ita passed you strait, but now we gon' fuck this sweet piece here while you watch. I hear high born bitches has the tightest pussy."  
  
Draco went to turn his head to see who this new evil was, but only to be stopped by the exploding headache at the back of his head. "What do you want?" Draco asked in a voice that would have sent both men scurrying had he not been held hostage.  
  
"Just to fuck your sweet wife here," Jon piped up from behind Hermione, who looked like she was about to vomit her breakfast and lunch.  
  
Hermione wanted to die, his hand groped in a steady rhythm on her sensitive breast. A tear rolled down her cheek, it was nothing like the soft caresses Draco gave her. How could men act so towards a woman?  
  
"If you don't leave now, you will be very, very sorry," Draco said, his voice deadly calm, "and if you do not get your hands off of her, you will be the first to want to die. I promise." He glared at Henry, who stared at him back, not at all afraid of who he thought was a high born spoiled brat that knew nothing of the life of a peasant. He was partly right.  
  
"Really, my Lord," Henry said, stressing the word 'Lord' sarcastically, "and what will you to if I do this?" Henry said, ripping the plaid banner from Hermione, leaving her only in the silk shirt and long wool skirt. Her hands went to her arms, as the piercing February air hit her.  
  
Draco made a move to get up, but was whipped in the back of the head with the hilt of Jon's dagger.  
  
"And this?" Henry said, grabbing the front of a screaming Hermione's shirt and ripping the delicate fabric from her already cold body.  
  
Another blow was delivered to Draco's neck; he fought to say conscious, his heart breaking more at the sight of Hermione's scared face, holding her breasts in her hands.  
  
She tried to break a run for it, but her topless nature hindered her from going far, Henry grabbed Hermione roughly by the hair and dragged her back in front of Draco's eyesight, whose grey eyes were getting darker and darker with anger.  
  
Henry held Hermione's hands behind her back with one large hand, the other going to her cold exposed breast.  
  
Hermione whimpered, throwing a pleading look to Draco. Henry's nasty alcohol smelling mouth went to her other breast, and bit down hard on Hermione's nipple.  
  
Visions of a Giant chessboard, facing a Basilisk, hundreds of Dementors came into Hermione's mind as she screamed in pain.  
  
Draco's body leapt into action, fully knowing Jon was interested in the further abuse of their captive. He rose so quickly that Jon toppled over, his dagger falling to the ground. Draco reached into his waist and held up his wand to the scampering Jon.  
  
"Crucio," Draco growled in a demonic voice. Jon screamed in earnest, Draco, fully knowing how this unforgivable cruse felt enjoyed the feeling of punishing him for a brief torture.  
  
Hermione gasped as Henry dumped her on the ground, "What the hell did you do to him?" Demanded the scared looking man, throwing looks to his writhing friend on the floor.  
  
"Didn't I say you will want to die?" Draco barked. Henry jumped at the loud voice and looked at Hermione on the floor, holding her injured breast, seeing the blood spill from beneath her fingers.  
  
"You are not worth my hate." Draco said quietly, and Henry knew he was a dead man. He fell to his knees and prayed for his God to grant him forgiveness. "Avada Kedavra." Was the last thing both Henry and Jon heard, and a brilliant green light filled their eyes, then all was dark.  
  
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Chapter 15 Shouts: Thanks to my reviewers: jeez, dracohermioneluver (if you ever get confused, just e-mail me, and I'll explain to yah!), sblomie, sparrow-heart (I was thinking of doing a little side thing when Draco was in the Hospital after the hexes that were placed on him in 5th year, but while browsing though ff.net, I came across another author, I think Dechantel, who did something like that already, and I don't want to take her idea.), Spaced Out Space Cadet, candy, LordAlienSnffulesLeaBeau, Ruinsul (Yea, its like a whinney kinda sound), TomFeltonsDancer (You rock too, thanks for that long review!), shedraconis (I hope you didn't hurt your eyes!), Ashlee (Harry and Ron? Duh duh duhhhh) 


	17. Chapter 17 A Love for All Time

A/N: Yay! Another update! Pretty soon, right? Thank the summer vacation Gods that blessed me with the free time in the evening to type. Thanks for all the support with my finger, its fully healed, and back to normal typing speed. I really must thank you all, and I will at the bottom, for all the reviews! I was floored with the respondes to it! I think it was 16 reviews for chapter 16! Amazing. I have THE best readers...ever!  
  
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Draco stood there, his hate vanishing from him as fast as the life fled from the men's eyes.  
  
"Draco?" Hermione whimpered from the side of Henry's stiffening body, and he was instantly at her side.  
  
"Oh Merlin Hermione, I don't know what I would..." but she cut him off.  
  
"You...killed..." Hermione stuttered in fear and pain, her eyes glued to those lifeless ones on the forest ground.  
  
"Hermione, look at me!" Draco said to her, holding her shoulders and shaking them slightly.  
  
She brought her eyes slowly from those of the dead criminals to the intense grey ones of Dracos'. As if truck hit her, the pain in her breast assaulted her.  
  
"Medeor is the name of the healing charm..." she sobbed, not feeling the ice- cold air only the pain in her breast, "It hurts so much."  
  
"Medeor," he said, and a soft white light went from the tip of Draco's wand to under Hermione's bloodied hand. In an instant, the pain was gone and the wound healed. For a moment, she forgot her bashfulness as Draco provided light from his wand to inspect the injured breast.  
  
"He-he bit so hard Draco." She finally sobbed to his shoulder. He Reparoed her torn shirt and she redressed with the Leslie plan and heavy wool cloak around her making her feel safe.  
  
"Hermione, lets get the horses and move, the sun is about to come up, we will stop at the first inn we see and rest," Draco said, wanting to comfort her, but knowing that the roads were still dangerous.  
  
She only nodded. Draco got the horses and they cantered from when the sky was still dark, to when the sun was spilling purple, orange, and red across the sky. They finally stopped at the first house they say off the road. They both knew that it a private house, but they both needed rest.  
  
They urged the horses into a faster gallop to the front of the house. Several men, whom Draco knew guarded the house, met them at the beginning of the property.  
  
"What business do you have here?" The leader, a big man with unruly red hair asked gruffly to Draco.  
  
"Please sir, we have been traveling all night after being attacked by bandits on the road, my...wife," he threw a cautious look to Hermione, who nodded back to him, "my wife was physically attack and almost molested, we beg to speak to the Lord or Lady of the house to ask for hospitality for the day."  
  
A second man answer from behind from this giant of a man, "Of course you can stay here. My name is Padaric Burke, Lord of Clearfield's Priory, please follow me. I am greatly sorry to hear of your strife, will your wife be needing any medical attention?" Lord Burke asked Draco, as they dismounted the horses in front the doors of the house.  
  
Draco shot Hermione a reading glace, and she looked pale. Padaric's eyes followed Draco's line of sight to rest on the pale, tired looking girl.  
  
"I see, my wife, the Lady Valentina will get a room prepared for you." He bowed his head from atop his horse, "While I go hunt for our dinner." With a bow of his hat, the Lord and his men stamped off into the thick woods to flush out any deer.  
  
Hermione gave Draco a small, tired smile and they climbed the stairs to the open door, which a tall elderly man held it open for them.  
  
"If you please follow me into the drawing room, my Lady Valentina will be down in a moment," the old steward said leaving Draco and Hermione to sit in a well-furnished room.  
  
Draco looked around, trying to not show the fact that he was impressed with the decoration of the place. It was not as large as his ancient home, but it was furnished as well. The oak furniture gleamed with a polish that only a hand rubbing and pure beeswax could give it. Upon the dark wide floorboards were thick Turkish carpets. The uses of carpets were unusual, many homes, even those that were wealthy used rushes mixed with herbs upon the floors. There were colorful tapestries and painting throughout the house depicting biblical and mythological scenes. Heavy draperies in velvet and silk hung from the leaded casement windows. Brass scones adorned the paneled walls, and silver twinkled on the sideboards. The scene was one of elegance and wealth.  
  
Hermione approached a small tapestry, similar to the one in 12 Grimmauld Place, depicting the houses' inhabitance's family tree. The top was too far for Hermione to see, but she saw that this Padaric and Valentina had a rich history.  
  
"Do you fancy it? I had been meaning to update it since Padaric and I got married, but I have just been too lazy," a voice came from behind Hermione, startling her. Draco, who was looking at another tapestry near the window, turned quickly on his heel to the new voice.  
  
"Greetings, my Lady," Hermione said, stretching her hand out for the woman to shake it.  
  
She stared at Hermione's hand confused, and Draco was quickly behind Hermione. He seized the hand, and brought it to his lips. "Greetings my Lady Burke, I trust your steward has told you of our plight?" Draco said, capturing the woman with his gray eyes.  
  
She flustered, and Hermione did something very unlady like...she snorted.  
  
Valentina shot Hermione a shocked look, but continued; completely taken in with Draco, "Yes, my Lord-?" she left the question in the air, as she didn't yet know their name.  
  
"Draco, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Gr-" he said before Hermione smoothly elbowed him the ribs. They were supposed to be married; a woman keeping her maiden name was unheard of in those...well...these times.  
  
Draco comprehended right away and smoothly covered himself, "Draco and Hermione Malfoy, family to the Mallenfioa," he added, hoping to elicit a reaction of familiarity from her.  
  
Valentina pursed her eyebrows together, and they her face lit up, "I remember the Mallenfioa's! They had a celebration, what it must have been about 22 or 23 years ago to celebrate the birth of their first-born son! I remember it was quite grand. Even the Queen, God speed her soil, who was rather sick at the time attended. Big event. Massive. I was glad to have been betrothed to Padaric already so my family and I came and went from the festivities as we please."  
  
Hermione felt Draco's hand tighten on her wrist, where he still held her hand captive.  
  
"The-the Mallenfioa Estate is nearby?" Draco asked incredulously.  
  
"Why yes, less that a days ride if I remember quite correctly, now look at me! I am the worst chatelaine, follow me, the guest rooms should be prepared by now, as I jabbered away." Valentina said to them, motioning for them to follow her. "If you will be needing anything at anytime, please to not hesitate to ring the bell in your room, a servant should be with you shortly." She climbed the Grand stairs and turned to the right as she reached to the top. Valentina walked two...three...four doors away and opened a large oak door.  
  
"These are the guest rooms, I apologize for the scarcity of it, but we weren't expecting company," Valentina smiled rather embarrassed. But Draco and Hermione were floored at the beauty of the room.  
  
In the center of the room against the wall stood an enormous four-poster bed with green silk and lace hanging from it. The bed was decorated in a comforter that looked like it could have warmed the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team, which was a beautiful forest green. Everything from the Turkish carpets to the curtains, even to the beeswax candles were a soothing green color.  
  
Draco smiled appreciatively and could only imagine what Hermione was thinking...if she wouldn't have collapsed collapse. With Seeker speed, he caught her as soon as her knees began to buckle. He threw a sorry glance to Valentina as she gave a surprised gasp.  
  
"Poor dear, she must be exhausted! Please, Lord Malfoy, let me and my tiring woman take care of her, we will securely wash her up and place her into bed. If you please, my husband's body servant, Hugh, can show you to the bathing chamber, and do not worry about clothes, they will be provided for you," Valentina said ringing the bell loudly three times.  
  
All Draco could do was nod and glace at Hermione's limp body on the bed.  
  
Valentina gave Draco a scrutinizing look and said as her personal servant came bustling into the room quickly followed by a man that must have been in his thirties. "You are just the size of my son, Colin, see to it that Master Malfoy gets Colin's clothes and a decent bath," she said to the man, who nodded and bowed.  
  
He left the room and waited outside the door for Draco, he seemed hesitant to leave.  
  
"Don't worry Lord Malfoy, you wife is in excellent hands, Marie here is an herb specialist and we will have her feeling better in no time. Now you, take a bath, and relax in the library which is right next door, I'm sure you will find something interesting to read." With that, the door was gently closed on Draco's still anxious face.  
  
"If you would follow me, sir," the man said from behind Draco, he jumped slightly, beginning to feel the weariness of the day setting in on him. He slumped his shoulders tiredly and walked behind the man to a medium sized room with a large shallow tub in it. The tub was surrounded by a screen that was retracted at the moment, as the tub was not in use. The whole bathing chamber was decorated in white and blue, with mosaics tiles on the ceiling that were so loud he didn't know if it offended him or not.  
  
"The Lady is very proud of this room, had it built after she came back from Istanbul," the man said, mistaking Draco's undecidedness towards the mosaic as bewilderment. "Not many families around here can boast of a room dedicated to bathing alone," he said, bristling with pride.  
  
Draco merely raised an eyebrow. Rooms like this were common in his time, they were called bathrooms.  
  
But, he remembered that religious fanatics of the Middle Ages considered it sins of the flesh and pride to wash ones skin.  
  
"Would you be needing any assistance with you bath, My Lord?" The man asked, back to business.  
  
"Ah, no, can you just adjust the water for me?" The servant quickly turned the dials and water came gushing out.  
  
"I will place your clothes by the fire place, atop the drying rack. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ring me," he said, bowing out of the room.  
  
"Wait! Could it be possible to have a message delivered to the Mallenfioa's? Just to let them know of our arrival?" Draco asked, trying to sound confident enough to pull off the effect that the Mallenfioa's were expecting him and Hermione.  
  
"Most certainly, my Lord, as you are done with your bath I will have a messenger meet you in the sitting room where I will provide you with quill and parchment." he said, mentally checking if there were available messengers still on the estate.  
  
"Thank you," Draco said wearily and the man bowed out the room, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts and the company of running water.  
  
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Long, right? Well, compared to my other chapters it is. And I changed the format of my Shout Outs, that way you all get to see what I tell you, instead of a long blob of a paragraph:  
  
Ruinsul Soul-Dead-Dragon (soon enough? :-) alambertini shedraconis coolcat411 ( I know you guys weren't, and to tell you the truth, I didn't expect it either) ckrfan (Oh yea, that's like getting hit in the balls for guys...one time I took a baseball right to the chest, cracked 2 ribs...no fun) sblomie (Yep, both of them are gone. Come on...how you gonna touch Draco's girl?) sparrow-heart (Thanks, keeping him in character, and having him shag Hermione is two things that are really hard to do lol) Rose dracohermioneluver twilight-la-fae (lol wowza, that's from Inspector Gadget, no?) Isabelle Gibson (blushes, thanks) siren wing bajillian twinklestar2285 Al Malfoy (My goal is to turn everyone into a D/Hr Shipper Muahahahah) lauren TomFeltonsDancer (Oh Lord...you don't want me even going into PoA. Anytime Draco did something, "God, he's so annoying, but so Goddamn Hott", seeing him has renewed my imagination. I have a plot bunny jumping around in my head. I'm thinking...Draco, Hermione, Ancient Rome. Lord knows I learned enough about it while I was there) Goddess-Hope 


	18. Chapter 18 A Love for All Time

A/N: I know, two updates in one week! I love you guys that much! Well, I do love yah and all, but I have this plot turn that I can't wait to get up, so I want to get these Chapters out of the way! As always, REVIEWS! Thank you, I love them, I will dance at you wedding and cry at your funeral if you give me reviews! Thank you!

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Meanwhile, in Hermione's room, Valentina and Kelly, her personal serving woman, were administering to Hermione. They began by stripping off the plaid, shirt, skirt, and stockings, leaving her almost naked except for her knickers, which they kept on for that moment for proprieties sake. They started to wash her, gently bathing the tired girl in rose water. If Hermione had awaken at the same time Valentina was checking Hermione's breast for a cut mark, she probably would have hexed her. She squeezed and prodded the girl's breast looking for the origin of the blood that dried on her chest, but upon seeing none, she concluded that it might have been the attacker's blood. They way that Lord Malfoy looked at the Lady; he must have really given it to them good.  
  
They washed her, quickly changed her bloomers, and dressed her in a silk nightshift. Valentina sent Kelly to the house's laundress with Hermione's clothing, finding it filthy and unfit to be in the house, but it was the Lady's. Hermione stirred a bit when Valentina braided her hair to assure no knots would arise in the morning when she awoke.  
  
At the moment that Valentina pulled the forest green goose down comforter to Hermione's chin, Draco walked in, wearing her son's breeches, and a white cotton shirt that he left unbuttoned to the top of his neck.  
  
"How is she?" He whispered to Valentina, who smiled on his return to the room.  
  
"Exhausted," she told him giving one last look at her, "I saw my husband approaching the house with what looked like a deer, boar, and salmon. I will arrange for dinner to be served." She got up, but Draco grabbed her by the arm and gently stopped her.  
  
"I-uh...well...Thank...thank you..." he stammered, not used to thanking anybody for anything, "I don't think I would have known how to...er...treat...her."  
  
"Do not mention it, my Lord, please, she reminds me so of my young daughter..." Valentina's eyes grew distant, but snapped back as soon as it drifted, "I will go prepare a menu."  
  
"Valentina?" She turned around and looked at him, "Please, after everything...can you call me Draco?"  
  
"Of course Draco." Valentina smiled at him, and bowed out the room. She ran downstairs quickly to tell her husband on the status of their unexpected guests.  
  
Draco looked at Hermione sleeping in the bed, looking tiny compared to the size of the bed. He sighed tiredly and sat at a table next to a Bay window overlooking the Estate. It was February and nothing was in bloom, the landscape looked desolate and unfriendly. He looked down at the parchment in front of him and started to write, not knowing what and how he wanted to say it. 

Lethe,  
  
This is Draco Malfoy, I know it was over forty years ago, but do you remember we met for Queen Elizabeth's Coronation? Something happened that night and we never returned to Hogwarts. I would rather meet face to face, please expect me in two days, as I am Clearfields Priory, which is about a days ride.  
  
Citro Castus Vivo,  
  
_Draco Malfoy_

He looked at the letter from an outsider's point of view and unless they knew what Hogwarts was, he was safe. He only worry is that Lethe would remember him. He closed the envelope and slid the Hogwarts ring off his finger to seal the letter. He carefully spilled the wax over the envelope and sealed it. Satisfied, he turned the ring around to clean it and audibly gasped at what he saw.  
  
Three brilliant emeralds stood in the ring, one of which was his own Slytherin emerald, but the Amber and Laboradite was gone! In their place stood the two new emeralds. He stared at the ring for what must have been ten whole minutes, his mind reeling with confusion when a soft knock at the door brought him too attention.  
  
He shook his head, and walked over to the door, softly opening it to reveal a messenger.  
  
"Is your message ready for delivery, my Lord?" he asked Draco, his eyes downcast with respect.  
  
"Yes, here it is," Draco handed the man the letter, looking at the Hogwart's seal on the front, "make sure to request a reply, as I am urgent to hear his response."  
  
"Yes sir." The man left with the utmost urgency, taking the fastest steed and riding as if the devil's hounds were after him.  
  
Draco sat in a comfortable chair by the fire, closed his eyes, and thought about the first time that him and Hermione called a truce, and it wasn't for the Historical Reenactment Project. It was a couple of summers ago, when Draco was in St. Mungos getting treated for the multiple of hexes that were brandished on him at the end of fourth year. Hermione worked there as an intern in the 'Long Term Care Facility', and ultimately had him as her regular patient. He smiled in remembering the petty arguments and the baiting they did to each other. He knew the 'Mudblood' thing still annoyed her, and used it at will, but he remember she approached him with a truce, a truce that would last the summer and allow her to treat him in a fashion for him to leave St. Mungos in time to start school in September. They immediately got along, she helped him in the required Muggle Studies, and he helped her in Arithmacy. When the summer ended, he fully intended in remaining on friendly terms with her, but after two weeks of punishment in the form of the Cruciatus Curse from his father he started hating her again. Draco's eyebrows furred together remembering the pain he went through, when his father found out he was dealing with a Mudblood, and the most loathsome one of all! Sidekick to Harry Potter himself!  
  
Another sharp knock on the door made him visibly jump from his seat. His forehead was dotted with perspiration and he was breathing a bit heavy.  
  
"Yes?" He said, his voice shaky.  
  
"Lord Malfoy, dinner is ready, would you be eating n the main hall or would you like dinner brought up for you?" a male voice called out from behind the door he recognized belonged to Hugh.  
  
He thought for a moment, and as much as he wanted to eat here and watch over Hermione, it was extremely bad manners to not eat with the Lord and Lady of the Manor.  
  
"I will be down in a moment, can you please summon a maid to look after my wife incase she stirs?" He asked while looking for a better shirt to wear to dinner downstairs. He heard Hugh mutter, "Yes my Lord", and moved away from the door. He looked in the mirror and wrinkled his nose at the condition of his hair. He had not been able to condition and deep treat it for over a week! He took out his wand from his waistband and said a hair- spell that transformed his frizzy flyaway hair into a sleek soft waterfall down his neck. Hermione would have laughed to see him preen himself in the mirror like a young girl going on her first date. There was a soft knock on the door, Draco opened it to reveal a small woman holding a tray of tea and some apples incase Hermione were to wake. He bowed to her, eliciting a fierce blush from her that threatened to take over her arms and legs all the way down to her toes, and left the room to join his host and hostess for dinner.

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Short, very short, I know. And I apologize for the last shouts. I put it one under the other in Word, but it didn't format in ff.net, so it was back to being a blob of a paragraph. I will do my shouts in my next update. Again, thanks for all your support! And please, still review for Chapter 17 as well as 18. I promise you guys, its worth it!!

And for you people that like my Time Travel fic, you will love DeChantal's "Once Upon a Thyme." Excellent. Well written with an original plot.


	19. Chapter 19 A Love for All Time

A/N: I am so very sorry about gassing you guys up. I submitted the chapter only to realize that I didn't even give thanks to my wonderful reviewers! I also wanted to say that I have a LiveJournal thing-a-ma-jig and I would be grateful if you guys stop by and say 'Hi!' The URL I think...  
  
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He arrived in the Main Hall, Valentina and Padaric approaching the table from the opposite side of the room.  
  
"Draco! You decided to join us for dinner! I fully expected you to take it in your room!" Valentina exclaimed upon seeing the blonde boy walking towards the table.  
  
He gave a rakish smile, "My mother taught me it was bad manners not to take dinner with the Lord and Lady." He moved to head of the table and sat. As a guest, he had a place of honor.  
  
Dinner was served, and Draco looked with a raised eyebrow at the bounty of food that was piled on the long wooden table. There was poached salmon on a bed of fresh watercress and walnuts, sprinkled in rosemary and thyme. A slab of meat, which Draco guessed was the stag they caught, was sizzling and swimming in it own juices. There was whole and mashed potatoes, cobs of corn, carrots, cabbages and warm bread. He ate vigorously, hungry from the last night's events and the constant traveling that he did earlier that day. They made small chat, talking about the area, politics and the spring crop that was to be planted. About an hour later, Draco felt that if he didn't get into bed, his face would soon be in the mash potatoes. Sensing this, Valentina rose up and stretched a bit.  
  
"Well, I am just fatigued! That poor girl, and I am sure you must be exhausted as well." She threw him a knowing wink, her husband would have gone on and on about the latest debacle with replacing the Queen with her nephew, King James. He gave a grateful smile, said his goodnights, and departed the hall, making his way up the stairs to Hermione's room.  
  
When entering, the little maid shot up from her seat and gave a little curtsey.  
  
"You may leave now." He said, going towards the bed and brushing his finger on Hermione's cheek. "Did she wake?"  
  
"No my Lord, she seemed to have bad dreams though. Muttering something about 'avara kid-something', I don't think it was English." She said, walking over to the table and picking up the cold bread and tea. She turned to leave, when Draco stopped her.  
  
"Can you please bring drinking water for her, incase she wakes up in the night and wants something to quench her thirst?" He turned back to Hermione and searched her face for any kind of damage. Her face was not pale anymore, it was rosy and the dark circles from under her eyes were gone. The maid brought back the cold water. When she left, Draco put a charm on the bottle to keep it cold. He adorned the hated nightdress, wishing again for just one pair of boxers from his trunk at Hogwarts. He slid next to Hermione, taking in the warmth that she provided under the covers. The day's events assaulted him, and his last coherent thought was the emeralds on the ring, and why the hell it changed.  
  
It was cold. She was scared. She was on the floor, dirt filled her mouth and blurred her vision, and she saw him, Draco...he looked so mad...so menacing...he's shouting the killing curse but it was aimed at her. She looked at Draco...pleading for her life, but it wasn't him, it was Lucius.  
  
"Filthy _Mudblood_!" he roared at her, his eyes wild with hate and fury, "Fuck my son?! I will kill you and your bastard child!"  
  
"NO!" Hermione wanted to yell, but it came out barely a whisper, she was on her knees, the green light slowly slithering towards her, like a snake, taking its time to strike more fear into her. She fell to her knees unable to move. She held her rounded stomach and struggled to her feet, raising her wand.  
  
"You may kill me, but I will mark you for life Lucius Malfoy!" Hermione screamed at him, her eyes getting as wild and crazy, "_Divello_!" Her curse shot out of her wand a red stream, and as the green light engulfed her, she saw with satisfaction Lucius Malfoy's face was sliced apart, wounds that would never heal.  
  
She gasped for air and wildly fought the arms that came around her. She was being smothered, killed, and Merlin help her she was not about to go down without a fight.  
  
She took her head and butted her assailant on the nose, a very effective move she learned from Bill and Charlie. She heard him swear a fowl expletive as she ungracefully fell off the bed. Scrambling for her wand, she came the horrified realization that she didn't know where it was.  
  
"Lucius you sick bastard, I will kill you!" Hermione yelled wildly, grasping for anything in the dark and finding a lamp, throwing it at what she guessed was a head. It crashed against the door, she groped around for something else.  
  
"Buck! Herbione! Stop! Its be, Draco!" he yelled, trying to ebb the flow of blood from his broken nose.  
  
"D-Draco?" she asked, gasping for air, "what the hell are you doing in my room?"  
  
"Lubos" Draco said, but his wand did nothing, "Buck!" he half shouted looking up at the darkened ceiling, and he felt Hermione go stiff across the room, 'Herbione, remember, we are here, in England...?"  
  
The memories and her passing out in Draco's arms came back to her, hitting her like a ton of bricks, "Oh Merlin, Draco, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, running to the bed, "Where is my wand?"  
  
He felt the bed sag, meaning she climbed back into it. He reached under her pillow and handed it to her in the dark.  
  
"_Coma Candelabrum_." she said, reveling in the feeling of the comfort of the wood in her hands again. Candles appeared and illuminated the entire room in a soft glow.  
  
"Oh Merlin! Draco I'm so sorry!" she said upon seeing a very peeved Draco with a steady flow of blood running down his lips to his nightshirt.  
  
"Vireo," she said, and the pain in the bridge in his nose was gone. She muttered another spell and the blood was gone from him and the sheets.  
  
"What in the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Draco half yelled at her, not wanted to bring more attention to their room. He expected the smashed lamp would have waked the whole of England. "I...I-well, I was having a bad dream!" she replied, surprised at his tone.  
  
"Why did you call me Lucius?" he asked her, looking her in the eyes. He saw she wanted to lie, but she could call on the little strength she had to do it.  
  
"Draco-I rather not talk about it, ok?" She slowly crawled to the pillow and laid her head down, hoping he would drop the subject.  
  
"Hermione." He said in a tone that would brook no argument, "tell me now."  
  
"Sod off Malfoy." She spat, still looking away from him.  
  
"Now." Draco said menacingly, he saw Hermione sigh, and slowly raised herself.  
  
"I was dreaming that your father wanted to kill me, ok Draco? Its not the most pleasant thing one would like to dream about, but I was. And he relished it, he called me a 'filthy mudblood' and said that my and bas-" She stopped suddenly and her hand flew to her stomach. Her eyes widened as tears sprang to it. No, its impossible, my monthlies ended the day she got here...its quite impossible for her to get pregnant.  
  
"Hermione?" Draco called her back to reality; he noticed her reactions and wondered what was going through her head.  
  
After some minutes of putting the thought of pregnancy out of her mind, she continued with a small smile of apology, "He-uh...well...said he was going to –uh...both of us, because of what happened...between us." She finished with a blush.  
  
"Well, my father is in Azkaban, I doubt there is any way for him to get to you." He said, running his hands down her arm.  
  
"It was horrible Draco, it started out with what happened in the forest, with the two blokes, then Lucius appears out of no where...and I died Draco, I died..." she said, tears running down her cheeks  
  
Draco's heart skipped several beats, "Died?" he asked in a shaky voice, "quite impossible Hermione, like I said my father is in Azkaban."  
  
Hermione looked at him uncertainly, she was sure he was saying those words for his benefit as well as hers. She closed her eyes and counted to five...tomorrow they would be in Malfoy's family estate, old, great, dark magic. If they can't help them, than no one can.  
  
She felt the weight on the bed shift towards her, and she tensed. "How do you feel?" he asked her in a voice that betrayed his cool demeanor. She turned towards him and sighed. Those deep gray eyes pulled her in. She knew on the outside, he wanted to be the same Malfoy...bane of her existence, but she knew....oh, she knew, on the inside he was changed. Draco thought he was going back to the life of a Death Eater, but Hermione knew that she changed him.  
  
"I feel safe..." she started slowly, not breaking eye contact, "when I am with you...well...I...feel like I can't be hurt, but you killed a man for me Draco...I don't know if that should make me happy or if I should worry about the depths of darkness you can achieve. But then I think...what if one day you decide to turn that spell on me Draco? You are on one side of the war as I am on the other, what happens when we meet on the battlefield?"  
  
Hermione was near tears, her heart getting heavier with every word. Her voice was calm yet, reminding him of the stubborn witch that wants to figure out the answer to every question. Draco only looked at her with an interested and mildly surprised look as to where the conversation was going, but it prompted her to continue talking. "I can't help up think about it Draco, it will be inevitable, good versus bad, you against me, Harry versus Voldermort, can you look at me in the eye and tell me you can kill me Draco?"  
  
Draco's eyebrows dropped harshly at Hermione's question. Before this debacle, Draco questioned the path his life was leading with not much concern. But now, looking into Hermione's liquid brown eyes, he imagined for a fleeting moment those eyes that looked up at him with molten passion, that darkened when she was angered, but sparkled when she laughed...lifeless...her blood spilt...because of him.  
  
He closed his eyes and sighed, but she continued, "Draco, I'm not asking you to answer me...to tell you the truth, I don't know why I'm telling you this...but you wanted to know what I was thinking."  
  
Hermione felt like the world was lifted off of her shoulders. She saw behind those closed eyes a battle of wiles going on, but it was not her fight. Draco only knew of the life of the Death Eater through what his father tells him, it was about time he made his own decisions about his own life.  
  
"I'm going back to sleep." she told him. She reached up to touch his face, but decided against him. She gave him a small smile and settled down to sleep.  
  
Draco sat there, contemplating Hermione's words; he listened until her breathing became normal. He lay next to her for some time, listening to her breath, the wind outside, and when the sun finally made it's appearance over the dark horizon, he crept off the bed and made for the stables. He didn't even both to wake the stable boy; mounting his own horse, he made quickly for the empty forest. The cold February stung his eyes that it watered, the lower branches scratched his face, but he rode on. He rode until he felt the hose straining beneath him; then he decided to slow. The horse would be no good to him broken. Draco looked around; he saw the Clearfields Priory estate far in the distance, like a insignificant stone on the vast land. He jumped off the horse and led him to a small brook that ran merrily, but it did nothing for his mood.  
  
What Hermione said had really effected him. He thought back to the day when he went to Snape's office to load off the fact he wanted to tell the Dark Lord bugger off.  
  
"Bullocks." He said softly to himself. What was he going to do? Could he dare? Why now? Why her? Why him? Why here?  
  
All these questions assaulted him, one after the other, giving him a pounding headache. He did not want to think about how their relationship is going to change when they get back to Hogwarts, he just wanted to ignore it. He had no choice to become a Death Eater, why should she care? Why should he care that she cared? She had Saint Potter, the Golden Boy of Hogwarts. When she went back, she will forget him, forget everything that happened. She will go back to her S.P.E.W. and Weasel, forgetting all about him.  
  
"Oh...bollocks." He said softly to his self again as he mounted the horse and rode a less furious pace back to the estate. She would leave him...he knew she will.  
  
!#$%&()  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers: Webbie'sGirl promise18 Al Malfoy Isabelle Gibson Sblomie Spaced Out Space Cadet – Keeping them in character is hard, in canon Draco can be such an arse.

Shedraconis Goddess-Hope sparrow-heart Mialana Mintytoothpick Xaverianne Loofi

red flame dragon – If you like historical romances, I have a list of authors to recommend!

ie-chipmonk Vianne Ruinsul Dracohermioneluver

TomFeltonsDancer – Thank you always for reviewing!!

SweetDreamsMuse – Bada-ba-ba-baaaa PuReBLoOdaZn DracosMudblood

Rose – if you have any questions, e-mail me and I'll clear it up!

Hyperion Alka coolcat411 Riley Al Malfoy Redheadedriot

luv-bug21 – You shall see.


	20. Chapter 20 A Love for All Time

A/N: Hey everyone! I hope your Indepenence weekend better than mine! I dipped a bit in my cousin's pool, BBQed, you know the normal stuff. One tragedy did happen: for those of you who live in New York, particularly Long Island, you may have heard of a building fire in Freeport that happened on Monday. Well, my cousin's boyfriend was the Manager of that building, and because of a "grudge" someone set fire to the building, killing his sister and puting her two young (one is 4 the other is 10) children on respirators. Really sad, they know its personal because someone had set fire to his car 3 weeks ago. As you can imagine, he is distraught, and although that won't hinder my writing, I can only ask all of my faithful and wonderful reviewers to say a little prayer for those too kids, no matter what religion you are. As of today (July 6, 2004) they cannot breathe on thier own, and the father of these two children only regained conciousness this morning. With all this going on, I can't imagine _wanting_ to hurt somebody so. I'm stepping off my soapbox now! Enjoy the rest of your week!

"Where in the world were you?" Hermione asked him upon his entry into the house, "Do you know what it is like waking up in a strange bed, in a strange house, with strange people?"  
  
"I went for a ride, I needed to clear my head," He explained to her shortly. "Get dressed, we leave to go to my family by mid-day."  
  
Hermione furrowed her brow, "why the rush?" She had quite liked Valentina's company. The older woman reminded Hermione strongly of her grandmother, but she was young enough to be her mother. Hermione shared the events of the night before with her and the woman was appalled at what happened.  
  
"I feel the sooner we get there, the sooner you can go back to your Golden Boy." He spat nastily and left the room.  
  
The cutting remark didn't hurt Hermione; she was rather confused in his change of temper. _What stick was up his arse?  
_  
She followed him to the bathing room. He was in the shallow pool, his purpled hued eyes closed, taking in the heat that the water offered.  
  
"What's wrong Draco?" She asked softly, sitting on a bench next to the pool.  
  
"Can't a man have a bath in peace?" he asked in an annoyed tone.  
  
"Your face!" Hermione gasped, seeing up close, she spied a plenty of small cuts on his face. "What happened? Were you attacked again?"  
  
"No, I was riding though the woods, the branches scratched me." He told her, his eyes still closed.  
  
Hermione took out her wand and did a simple healing spell. She smiled at him, but all she got in return was a scowl.  
  
"Your name is not Madam Pomphrey, and you are certainly not my mother, stop crowding me." Draco said rudely.  
  
"What in bloody hell is wrong with you?" Hermione asked, getting up and putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"Absolutely nothing! What? Don't you like the old Draco?" He replied, lifting his head and finally opening his steel gray eyes to meet her hard brown ones.  
  
"No. As a matter of fact I bloody well don't!" Hermione said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Well, that is quite too bad, because when we return to Hogwarts, this is the Draco that will be there." He told her evenly.  
  
"What-?" Hermione's heart dropped to the floor. _This was it? They go back to Hogwarts, he they go back to hating each other? This was it?_ She gambled her heart for nothing?  
  
"That's right, we go back, I become Draco Malfoy, future Death Eater, and you continue to be Queen of the Mudbloods." Draco told the flabbergasted girl. He dipped lower in the water while waiting for her answer.  
  
"I...didn't..." Hermione started, but tears closed her throat, but she refused, blatantly refused to cry in front of Malfoy. But she did want to ask him _why_? Why did he change his mind?  
  
"I'll will go gather my things, I expect you in the drawing room in 20 minutes." Hermione told him stiffly, her back at strait as a piece of wood. She turned on her heel and left the bathing room, closing the door with an unnecessary slam.  
  
Hermione was fuming, livid, agitated at the gall of the prat. Two nights ago he killed two men for her, she gave him her virginity, and all for what...nothing. They were to return to Hogwarts in worse shape that when they arrived in this time. Hermione paced the bedroom, her fist clenched to tight that her nails bit into her soft palm.  
  
"Bloody Draco Malfoy." Hermione muttered murderously, 'so I'm not good enough for him? Fine. He will never change.' She allowed herself a nasty smile, _'he will always think of me as a low-born bitch.'  
_  
She left the bathroom, and walked downstairs where Padaric and Valentina was in the drawing room having tea. She smiled a bit, as Valentina was finally updating the family quilt.  
  
"Oh, Padaric, Valentina, we leave within the hour, I'm sorry that it is such short notice, but Dr-Draco is eager to see his family." She gave them a false smile and wanted to spit at the fact she called that prat by his first name.  
  
"Of course, I will have some of our men-at-arms escort you to the manor." Said Valentina, getting up to fetch her steward.  
  
"We are sorry to see you go Hermione, and again, I am sorry for your plight." Padaric told her, his warm fatherly eyes smiling at her.  
  
"Thank you Padaric, Valentina as well, I don't know if I would have made it without your hospitality." Hermione told the couple.  
  
"And you should still be in bed." Valentina replied, sounding a lot like Mrs. Weasely.  
  
"I apologize dearest Valentina, but I am eager to see the old man, you understand?" Draco said, walking into the drawing room. He was smiling as if he had not care in the world, and as if he did not just stomp all over her heart and pride. Hermione closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry...not over him.  
  
"We are really sorry to see you go, when you leave the Mallenfioa estate, do pass by." Padaric told them, hugging his wife.  
  
"Yes, you simply must invite us to the wedding, I know you two are deeply in love, and I wish you great happiness, as I have." Valentina said, smiling up into her husbands face.  
  
Hermione's back went stiff and her eyes were set forward, Draco noticed the change in her demeanor and the way in which her jaw was also clenching.  
  
"Well, we certainly will, won't we dear?" Draco said, coldly smiling at Hermione, baiting her to lose her temper.  
  
She still looked ahead and only gave a brief nod.  
  
"This is Red Hugh, he will take you safely to the Mallenfioa Estate," Valentina started to say, but she walked over to Hermione and placed her warm hands on Hermione's cold shoulder. When Hermione looked up, she saw the women's eyes were clouded and unfocused, _"God Speed Hermione, your journey is yet not done. 'Tis a long one, but you will get home safe. They change because you love. They change because you love."  
_  
As if Valentina was slapped, she snapped out of her trance. She looked at Hermione, shook her head slightly, "I'm afraid I have embarrassed myself, I sometimes just daze out during a conversation. My apologies dear."  
  
"You...you...don't know what you just said?" Hermione asked astonished.  
  
"Me? I didn't say a word!" Valentina looked at Hermione equally astonished.  
  
"I...well-I'm sorry, I must have dazed out myself, thank you for your hospitality Valentina, and Padaric." Hermione hugged them both, and both Draco and herself followed Red Hugh to the stables where their mounts waited.

!#$%&())()

As always, my great reviewers, I love you all! Thanks so much for the support that you all have given me:  
TomFeltonsDancer - Questions, questions! Wait and see!

WriterLady1031, luv-bug21, Al Malfoy

speed2 - Glad you asked: If you like smutty Historical, you _want_ **Bertrice Small**. She is the QUEEN of smutty, realistic (European) historical novels. Start with her **O'Malley** **Saga**. (The first book of that six book series is Skye O'Malley, All the Sweet Tomorrows, (my story's name sake) A Love for All Time, This Heart of Mine, Love Lost Found & Wild Jasmine) omfg, she ROCKS! If you want, you can e-mail me and i'll give you a while list of authors.

Spaced Out Space Cadet, harry-potter-fan145 -(Thanks!), Puzzlette, knivesgirl346 -(I'm glad I can please you!)

rubytuesday210, Faith5321, Allison, dracohermioneluver - (Are you on the Dhrcommunity in Yahoo Groups? I thought I saw you there, or mentioned there. I joined like 2 days ago! Raffy is hilarious)

Candy04, Isabelle Gibson, OBXglider, shedraconis, KissMyWings - (-blushes- don't bow! I'm not _that_ good!)

sblomie, PuReBLoOdaZn, redheadedriot, mintytoothpick, Goddess-Hope


	21. Chapter 21 A Love for All Time

A/N: Hello all! 200 Reviews!!! Oh Lord...I don't know how to thank you all...I mean...when I started writing this, I didn't expect such....200 reviews!!  
  
I have an update on the kids: The speciation behind the fire was a disgruntled ex-boyfriend to one of the sisters. He was trying to kill his ex, but instead killed his ex's sister instead. The father and now widow still does not know of his wife's fate because he is still recovering from 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Pray for him and the kids.  
  
!#$%&()  
  
"Draco, I have to talk to you!" Hermione whispered feverishly.  
  
"What could you possibly have to say that would interest me?" Draco asked in a detached tone, keeping his gaze ahead.  
  
Hermione's palm itched to slap his face, but she knew she had to be the mature one. "Valentina is a Seer!" she whispered to Draco as he went to help her mount her horse.  
  
"What?" Draco said, genuinely taken back by the new information.  
  
"Yes!" Hermione said smiling, for once in the past week, she felt like something was in her control.  
  
"How...when...how did you find out?" Draco asked in a equally feverish whisper, forgetting his anger for the moment.

They were already out the stables and on their way to the Mallenfioa estate. Red Hugh was well in front of them, so they were free to talk, but they still whispered.  
  
"When she was saying good bye to me, she said that my journey is not long, but not yet done, and I will get home safe, and 'they change because you love, they change because you love. Frankly, I'm relieved for the first part, but I have no idea what the second part means, I thought it meant you changed because you lov-" Hermione stopped mid-sentence, closed her eyes and berated her self mentally.  
  
Draco decided to ignore her slip up to save them both embarrassment, "I wonder if she even knows."  
  
"I doubt it, her predictions must happen often, she apologized for dazing out on me during our goodbyes." She said, she silently wanted to touch him. She knew something was wrong, but he did not want to tell her.  
  
"Interesting." Was the last thing he said to her before they slipped into a silence that lasted them the whole trip. Several times Hermione wanted to talk about the predication, as it was itching her to analyze it.  
  
After five strait hours riding, they came upon a massive dark stoned castle. It reminded Hermione vaguely of Hogwarts with the towers shooting up in the sky, and it even had a moat.  
  
"This be where I head back. The men-at-arms should be here any minute to er...greet you. G'day." And with a swift turn, Red Hugh was off, back to Clearfields Priory.  
  
Hermione only furrowed her eyebrows at the man's swift exit.  
  
Draco and Hermione rode on, and when they approached the massive drawbridge, a voice boomed out, "What business do you have here?"  
  
"My business is with Lethe, no one else." Draco said rudely. Hermione looked over at him as if he were crazy. Technically, he as not born yet, they could very well kill them right now and it would not make the difference.  
  
"What business do you have here?" the massive voice boomed again.  
  
"Oh for Merlin's sake, _Citro Castus Vivo_!" Draco said with great impatience.  
  
"Enter." The voice after a long uncomfortable silence.  
  
Draco pushed his horse forward, approaching the space where the bridge would be lowered. Hermione waited for it, but nothing happened, and Draco rode on.  
  
"Draco, what are you doing?" Hermione asked him. "Don't we have to wait for the-"  
  
The sight of seeing a floating Draco riding across the space between the land and the castle cut her off.  
  
'_Of course, and invisible bridge'_, Hermione thought stupidly, following him. '_Duh_.'  
  
Draco walked right though the thick oak doors, and Hermione followed suit. She was worried for her safety, as the Malfoys were not known for their hospitality towards muggles and muggle-born wizards.  
  
A tall, ghostly looking man approached the couple, "Lord, Lady; Master Mallenfioa awaits you in his library."  
  
"You will take us to him." Draco told the servant, it was not a request.  
  
Hermione could only remain silent and look around the castle in wonder. The furniture, the glass windows, everything was so beautiful. They walked up flight massive stone steps and entered the library.  
  
Draco bowed slightly to the older Malfoy as a sign of respect, which prompted Hermione to curtsey.  
  
"Sit." The old man said from behind a great oak desk.  
  
They obliged, feeling uncomfortable under the old man's stare.  
  
"What are you still doing here?" Lethe asked after five whole minutes of studying the couple. Draco noticed that the elder Malfoy rested his eyes on Hermione's breast longer than was necessary, and it hackled him.  
  
"We don't know. That night we took your carriage home, and we slept. We were supposed to be apparated back to Hogwarts in any event when the class was done, but alas, it has been weeks and we are still here." Draco said, watching as Lethe still looked at Hermione, as an old man shouldn't.  
  
"Did you have sex?" Lethe asked bluntly.  
  
Hermione's face went white to brick red; Draco expected that her toes were red with blush.  
  
"Yes." Draco said shortly.  
  
"Hmmm..." Lethe said getting up. He walked over to a bookcase, and after petting a rather nasty looking hag, she allowed him to open it to retrieve the right book.  
  
"I don't have a lot here that can help you. You may stay however long you want and search for your answer. If it is a potion you need, we will find the ingredients, if it is an incantation, we will figure out the correct Latin." Lethe started for the door when Draco stopped him.  
  
"That's it? You stick us in the Library, give us a pat on the arse and say good luck?" Draco asked astounded.  
  
"You got yourself into this situation." Lethe said in a very Lucius sort of way, "A Mallenfioa always gets himself out of his own mess."  
  
"Damn Malfoys, still insufferable from way back when..." Hermione muttered, disappearing behind a bookshelf.  
  
Draco pointedly ignored her and went about searching books. After picking out about seven or eight, he joined Hermione at the table. She was pouring over books herself.  
  
About an hour later, and well over 40 books a person, Hermione broke the silence suddenly, making Draco jump out of his seat, "Oh Merlin."  
  
"What, you found something?" he asked her.  
  
"I...I forgot to tell you...but I....then in the forest...but now...and...Valentina..."Hermione said looking at her hand.  
  
"If you can be any more vague, I would appreciate it." Draco said sarcastically.  
  
"That's why!" she exclaimed, her eyes bright.  
  
"Yes. You made it more vague. Thank you." He said, frowning at her.  
  
"That first day, in the inn, I noticed something, then Francis interrupted my thoughts, my ring, the morning after we....uh" she stopped, blushing furiously, "...was supposed to go back, my Hufflepuff stone was green!" Hermione said, "But that doesn't explain why or when the Ravenclaw one green."  
  
"It happened after you got attacked." Draco said, his eyes focusing on the old Hag that was giving him very dirty looks. "I noticed the stones when you were sleeping in Clearfields."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Hermione asked irately.  
  
"You didn't exactly tell me when the Hufflepuff one turn, did you?" Draco asked, his eyebrow raising.  
  
"I forgot." Hermione replied, slightly embarrassed.  
  
"As did I." Draco replied, his mind deep in thought.  
  
"Why?" Hermione asked the inevitable question.  
  
"Lets think this over, you said the Hufflepuff turned the morning after, I know for a fact that the Ravenclaw changed after the forest, what could have triggered it?" Draco asked, now focusing on the candle flame.  
  
"Emotion, maybe?" Hermione threw out, "frankly, there was a lot of emotion flowing around at both times..." she stopped, a blush creeping up her neck.  
  
"So the last one is Gryffindor...somehow, we have to get the Gryffindor stone green." He said, looking at the offending stone on his hand. The rock glittered back at him as if to say '_try me'_.  
  
"Bloody Gryffindor." He said in disgust.  
  
The hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stood up as she felt her ire raise. Her lip curled and she spat, "Does extreme hatred count as an emotion?"  
  
"What did Valentina say?" Draco asked ignoring the girl's obvious temper.  
  
"They change because you love." Hermione said automatically, lip still curled up in disgust. Looking up at Draco, the color drained from her face.  
  
"Bullocks." Draco said, "I never '_loved_' you," Draco said nastily, "you're just a good-"  
  
But before he could have finished his sentence, Hermione grabbed Draco by the collar from across the desk and pushed him on top the desk, "You didn't think I was filthy when I gave my virginity to you, did you? You didn't think I was filthy those other nights we had it, did you? You didn't think I was filthy when you killed for ME, did you? You, Draco Malfoy, you never change, yes,_ I loved you_, but I swear on my wand Malfoy, if it takes '_love_' to get us back to Hogwarts, you better get comfortable, because I took the risk of falling in love with you be damned what anybody at Hogwarts thought, and I will not do it again."

She let go of his collar and stalked out the room, head held high.  
  
"Oh...son of a monkey's wanker, Hermione wait!" Draco called out running to the library door. He retched it open and was greeted by the sound of a door slamming shut in the long dark hallway.  
  
!#$%&()  
  
Puzzlette – Thanks for the well wishes!  
  
varielv, knivesgirl346, Shadow Psi, Spaced Out Space Cadet, Nicole-HP-fan  
  
Amber – There is a chinless, spinless Jorge Posada on the Yankees?? The only one I know is the sexy, big assed, thick legged power hittin catcher...maybe you are thinking of Varitek? Or maybe Ortiz..? No, Pedro! ;-) I can go on and on and on...  
  
Eriador, Nicole, Candy04, AlwaysInTheDark, amber (most of the details are acturate. Francis does get exciled from Scotland, and the dates are correct.), Heather, Katharina, Dan's GrlS, Nami1, dracohermioneluver, Scarlet Suspense, OBXglider, Sexy Gabby, DracosMudblood, lizbethr (hee hee, Baby? What baby?;), Dan's GrlS, Sue,  
  
reader85 (I love D/Hr goodness too! But you know boys...always ready to hex without thinking), Lizzy (Oh yea there was wizards back then. According to JKR, Hogwarts is over 1,000 years old that means the was magic indeed over a thousands years ago!)  
  
TiCkLeD PiNk89 (I loved that line too! And thanks for ALL the reviews!!)


	22. Chapter 22 A Love for All Time

A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews! I got an e-mail asking how to get that pic up. Well, I paid for an account because I have this need for excess. The pic is taken from _Contra Veritas'_ Fan Art Gallery. The very talented artist is named Dominique...she just has a few, but I'm going to put all her pics in my profile eventually, she is just tooooo talented.  
  
!#$  
  
Hermione paced her room fiercely, walking from the window to the door, which was on the far side of the room. She didn't know what was making Draco a complete ninny, but she didn't want to know. Two days ago, she felt something from...at least she thought so, but now, it was like they were at Hogwarts again.  
  
'What did I do wrong?' Hermione asked herself, sitting on the bed.  
  
She heard a knock on the door, and thinking it was maybe a servant, she shouted entrance.  
  
"Hermione?" Draco asked in an uncertain voice from behind a small opening in the door.  
  
"What?" She asked cuttingly.  
  
Draco didn't even know why he was there, he felt he needed to talk to her, but he didn't know what to say to her.  
  
"Dinner is ready." Draco said just as shortly.  
  
"Fine, I will be down in a moment." She walked over to the door and pushed it hard, slamming it right in Draco's temple. She heard him swear loudly from the other side of the door and she smiled with satisfaction.  
  
Draco held put his palm to his temple and willed it to ease its throbbing. He walked into the Great Hall where Lethe, along with his only son Coluber was sitting already eating dinner.  
  
"Draco! Come! Sit!" Lethe said, gesturing with his hands to the empty seats on the vast table.  
  
"Thank you sir." Draco said quietly, dinner at the Malfoy table was never a good experience for him.  
  
"This is my son, Coluber." Lethe said with a wave of his aristocratic hand, "Coluber, my dear boy, this is Draco."  
  
Coluber bowed his head to Draco from across the table, a sign of respect and acceptance. It was rare for a Malfoy to expose the back of his neck to anyone.  
  
"Father tells me of your journey, tell me, are there a plentiful of Mudblood Wizards and Witches going to Hogwarts?" He asked Draco in a voice that sounded like he was discussing the weather.  
  
As Draco was about to answer, Hermione walked into the Great Hall. She made a small curtsey and sat to Draco's right. "I am very sorry I am late, Lord Mallenfioa. I found myself lost in your labyrinth of hallways."  
  
Lethe smiled at the young witch, "Hermione, was it? This is my son Coluber."  
  
Hermione looked up at the young man, not 5 years older than Draco, but as handsome as him. Even from a distance she could see his intense grey eyes.  
  
He captured Hermione with his eyes, and smiled a very Draco-like smile. A smile that she knew all too well. A smile he got when he wanted something.  
  
"Nice to meet you, to met you Coluber, I can see where Draco will eventually get his looks from." She greeted him, not breaking eye contact. She could feel the coldness radiating from Draco, and she reveled in it.  
  
Coluber was taken aback for a second at Hermione's audacity. 'The saucy wench wants to play, eh? Looks like my grandson's prick isn't good enough for this modern girl.' He thought to himself after laughing out loud to Hermione's comment.  
  
"I thank you, dear Lady." Coluber replied, his gaze never leaving hers.  
  
Draco felt that if he clenched his jaw any tighter, his teeth would surely shatter in his mouth. The audacity, the nerve, the sheer balls for her to flirt with Coluber right to his face! He was wrong, he accepted that, and he would apologize...in time, but she was purposely making it hard as hell for him to.  
  
He let his ire cool enough to enjoy dinner, which upon seeing it, nodded in approval. His father was known for holding an excellent table as well; he guessed it was a Malfoy thing. But it was short lived; as soon as Hermione placed her fork in the plate and wiped her mouth, Coluber invited her to see the ancient family portraits.  
  
Hermione shot a side ways glance at Draco, which didn't go unnoticed by her host, "I would love to, Coluber." She got up, and with a little shake of her skirts, took Coluber's arm and left the Great Hall.  
  
Draco's eyes narrowed into two tiny slits, "I must be going back to Library, My Lord."  
  
He shot out of the chair and ran up the grand stone steps two at a time. He didn't trust the look in Coluber's eyes at all; he knew it all too well.  
  
  
  
As Coluber and Hermione walked though the castle, she made small talk about the future. She had to bite her tongue rather hard when Coluber started to recite the pure blood speech she heard too many time from Draco in Hogwarts.  
  
She smiled wistfully. Hogwarts. She missed it greatly. She missed baiting Ron into an argument; she missed Harry, forever thoughtful on finding out who the president of "Harry's Girls" was. She missed Ginny, teasing her everyday about the fan club she created for Harry called "Harry's Girls" in dedication to the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. Hermione was so lost in thought, she didn't notice when Coluber walked her into a massive round room, with paintings and tapestries covering every square inch of it.  
  
"Oh, Coluber! This is truly beautiful!" Hermione gasped walking over to a tapestry of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.  
  
"It is, my own mother made this particular one." Coluber said to her, touching it lightly. "It was part of her dowry she brought with her."  
  
"Weaving is such a lost art in my time, all of these are so beautiful." She said, walk up to another one, with a wizard slaying a dragon.  
  
"You are beautiful." Coluber said, standing right behind her, dropping a kiss on her shoulder.  
  
Hermione closed her eyes; she knew this would happen. "Coluber, I'm sorry...but-"  
  
She was cut off by a horrible, high-pitched wail.  
  
"What in bloody hell is that?!" Hermione yelled to Coluber over the scream.  
  
"I have no idea!" He wiped around, looking for a source of the scream, and found it in a painting of a beautiful woman with white, white hair sitting atop a throne.  
  
"_MUDBLOOD FILTH_!" The painted screamed to the top of her lungs, "_She! She DEFILES the house of Mallenfoia!_"  
  
"What are you talking about?!" Coluber yelled to the painting. "Who defiles this house?!"  
  
Hermione had a sinking feeling; strong memories of Mrs. Black awakened behind her curtain assaulted her.  
  
"_She contaminates this house!! She will the END of the Mallenfioa line!! KILL HER NOW!!_" Coluber whipped around to face Hermione.  
  
She was a good ten steps away from him, as she started to back away from the painting as soon as she heard the "M" word.  
  
"You?" Coluber asked incredulously, "You are a muggle?" He was quickly advancing on her, but stopped abruptly when she pulled her wand out.  
  
"I am a witch." Hermione said through gritted teeth, "I am a witch!"  
  
Hermione felt a rage like non other well up in the pit of her stomach. When? When would the hatred and racism end? She knew she had skills to rival those of powerful, established witches and wizards.  
  
"_SHE LIES_!" the painting screamed, "_She is a MUDBLOOD_!!"  
  
Coluber looked from the painting to Hermione, his expression fading from confused to a malicious grin.  
  
"The painting is never wrong Mudblood, old magic she was made with." Coluber said to Hermione, slowly circling her. His wand was out and at the ready.  
  
"I am leaving this place. You all are evil people." Hermione spat at him.  
  
"_Expelliarmus_!" Coluber yelled, he voice echoing in the massive room.  
  
"_Apuggno_!" Hermione screamed at the same time.  
  
The effect was instantaneous. Hermione's wand flew out of her hand as she flew back wards, and Coluber was thrown ten feet into the air, and dropped on his arm with a loud crack.  
  
"You Mudblood bitch!" Coluber spat, blood rushing out from his cut lip. Hermione wanted to vomit when she saw his arm twisted at an unnatural angle.  
  
She made a scramble for her wand, which was lying less than 15 feet away from her.  
  
"_Accio_" He said, in a demonic voice and the wand flew into his hands. Hermione looked up at him, fear shone great in her eyes, but she was not yet done.  
  
She quickly noticed that it was his wand hand that was broken, and scrambling to her feet she rushed him.  
  
Coluber was not expecting this new move, he expected her to cower on the floor, and beg for her life. He howled in pain as Hermione's knee came into contact with his groin, using this to her advantage, she swung an upper cut that broke his nose.  
  
_'Thank you Fred and George!'_ Hermione yelled in her mind, as she learned that practical self-defense move from the twins, as they rightfully thought a wizard 'can' be separated from his wand.  
  
"Bitch!" He screamed at her. He shoved her hard and sent Hermione sliding on the floor.  
  
"_Crucio_."  
  
She wanted to die. Kill her. Her nerves were on fire. A blinding white light shone from behind her closed eyes as she writhed in pain on the castle floor.  
  
"What in bloody hell is going on here?" she heard, in the distance. _'Harry? What would he be doing here? Oh please, let it be Harry!'  
_  
Draco rushed into the massive round room after all the hairs on the back of his neck raised. Something was wrong. He didn't know what.  
  
He ran into the room when Coluber was in the middle of using the Crucio on Hermione.  
  
"What in bloody hell is going on here?" Draco yelled, breaking the man's concentration, he stopped the curse.  
  
Draco's heart broke into a million pieces, as she lay bloodied on the floor, whimpering in extreme pain.  
  
"She, this bitch is a mudblood!" Coluber yelled to Draco with a maniacal glint in his eyes.  
  
He rushed to Hermione's side and held her in his arms, "Oh my love, I'm so sorry. I love you Hermione, I do."  
  
"WHAT??" Coluber shrieked from the other side of the room.  
  
"_I tell you!! SHE WILL END THE MALLENFIOA LINE!_" the painting wailed.  
  
"You knew??" The older man asked, too shocked to react any other way.  
  
But Draco paid him no mind, he looked into Hermione's sleepy eyes, and bent his head low just to hear what she was whispering and in an almost unnatural voice she said; "Draco, "I love you, please...just take me home...."  
  
He ran his finger down her jaw and smiled, a real smile.  
  
"You will never contaminate us! I will make you FORGET!" Coluber screamed at them.  
  
Hermione snapped her head toward the voice and tried to raise herself, "We must leave, now Draco."  
  
"I think your right." Draco said, but before he could have said the incantation to put a Full Body Bind on Coluber, they both felt like they were harshly being pulled back, the room started to swirl around them and they both started to spin.  
  
"Obliviate." was the last thing Draco heard in the distance before she landed hard on a concrete floor, scraping her elbow and shoulder.  
  
Hermione opened her eyes, and saw Draco being sharply pulled off of her.  
  
"Are you ok Hermione?" Harry asked, bending down to help pick her up.  
  
"Why wouldn't I be? And why was Malfoy on me?" Hermione asked, looking from Ron to Harry, her eyes resting on Draco.  
  
"We were about to ask you that." Ron said in a huff. "When you two apparated back here, he was all over you!"  
  
"Apparated?" Hermione looked genuinely confused, "Where did I go? And why in bloody hell am I dress like a 15th century tavern wench?" She pressed her question by spinning around.  
  
"Hermione," Harry started out slowly, "You and Malfoy just apparated back from the 15th Century, for Professor Binn's Project."  
  
Hermione blinked three times in rapid succession, and was looking at Harry as if his scar just came alive and danced the Macarena on his forehead.  
  
"Project?" She asked, glancing over to Draco who was looking at her in a very weird way, "What Project?"  
  
!#$  
  
Ducks objects being thrown Sorry for the evil cliffy!

To my awesome reviewers: tickled pink89, Isabelle Gibson, Psi, dracohermioneluver, TomFeltonsDancer, knivesgirl346, lizbethr, sblomie, DarkRaven-04, AClownNeverDies(of course you can use it!)  
Level 27 Teenie, heavySITUATIONS, amber (the patriots rock, althought I am a Jets fan at heart)  
Dan's GrlS, Draco'sMyGuy (I don't think half the female population would mind Draco on top...the other half want him on the bottom lol)  
nikkipoo, FlamingArrow a.k.a.GinnyWeasly, Nami1, Kissin Kate, Heartbreaker4life, redheadedriot, DracosMudblood, denise4  
Candy04: Sorry I didn't make this clear...The Slytherin stone was already green, so there was no need for that to change.  
luv-bug21, Maggi25, Spaced Out Space Cadet, Al Malfoy, CookiMonstr08, Rotae 


	23. Chapter 23 A Love for All Time

A/N: 300 Reviews!! O-M-G. I can not thank each and everyone of you enough for reviewing and supporting my story! I don't know how I would have continued without the support from all of you. And a BIG shout to my girl Jackie aka Porch Monkey. She was the inspiration behind Coluber and the "fight". Thanks Jackie!!

!#$%

Draco felt his heart shatter to a million pieces. His eyes, which was staring a death glare at Ron who was holding him back from Hermione, went blurry with unshed tears.  
  
_'This is not happening_!' Draco thought he screamed at her, but all that came out was a barely audible whimper.  
  
Hermione continued to look at Harry and Ron with a very confused expression, "Project? I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, Harry."  
  
Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Binns came rushing over to the small group that had formed around the couple.  
  
"What in bloody hell did you do to her Malfoy?" Ron spat to the pale boy's face, holding his neck in a death grip.  
  
"Mr. Weasely, please let Mr. Malfoy go at once!" McGonagall bellowed at the red-haired boy.  
  
Ron sneered in a very Malfoy like way and let him go with a hard shove that almost sent Draco to the hard floor.  
  
Draco's hand flew to his bruised neck and gasped for air.  
  
"Ms. Granger, if this is some kind of joke, please-" Professor Binns started to say, but Harry cut him off.  
  
"Hermione would never play a game like this, not when her grades are involved, that prat did something to her." Harry said to the teachers, pointing accusingly to Draco.  
  
"Harry's right Professor, but I can't remember a thing." Hermione said to her Head of House. She threw a wary glace to Draco; but something was niggling at the back of her head.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, would you care to explain what happened to Ms. Granger?" McGonagall said in a commanding voice.  
  
Draco stared scornfully at the Gryffindors, "Not here. Not with them around." He jutted his chin out to Harry and Ron's direction.  
  
They both bristled with indignation. They were about to give it to Malfoy good, when McGonagall spoke with Head of House authority  
  
"Very well Mr. Malfoy. You and Ms. Granger head back to your rooms and clean up. Professor Snape, the Headmaster, and myself will be there within the hour to speak of what happened."  
  
"But-"Harry sputtered first.  
  
"Yes Mr. Potter?" She turned her hawk like eyes on him.  
  
"What if Malfoy tries to hurt her again?" Ron spat rudely to her.  
  
"I can assure you Mr. Malfoy will not harm our Head Girl while in this castle. Now you two, go." She said to Draco and Hermione none to nicely.  
  
Hermione gave Ron and Harry a hug and whispered something to them that seemed to placate them. She turned to Draco, nodded, and walked past him to go to her Head Girl room.  
  
The walk was quite. Draco didn't know what to say for the first time in his life. Could he tell the teacher's the truth? He would have to, he had no choice. He was sure cleaning bedpans wouldn't be the punishment if they thought he used a memory charm on her.  
  
_'Draco, old boy, looks like you have to open a can of bullshit, the biggest one you can find_.' A voice in the back of his head said, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
'Sod off.' He muttered under his breath, catching Hermione's attention.  
  
"Malfoy, I don't know what you are playing at, but I don't think its funny, what is everyone talking about?" Hermione asked him once they reached to their shared common room.  
  
"Look Her..." Draco looked at her with a pained expression, but masked it behind the signature Malfoy sneer. "We have to wait for our Head of Houses to come, wait like a good little Gryffindor."  
  
"Sod off." She spat at him while going into her room to change from her 'tavern wench' outfit.

Fifteen minutes later, Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape entered the Head Boy and Girl's common room with an air of calm around them.  
  
They all sat down in the spacious room, each not knowing what to say or where to start.  
  
"Ms. Granger, you don't remember anything about today?" Dumbledore asked Hermione, breaking the uncomfortable silence.  
  
"Not at all, I don't even know what 'Project' Harry and Ron were going on about." Hermione replied to the aged wizard, "Surely you know I would not put my grades in jeopardy-"  
  
"We know Ms. Granger, but what I am interested in, is why." Dumbledore interrupted the girl softly; Hermione breathed a sigh of relief that Dumbledore believed her.  
  
They all turned and looked at Draco, who was currently staring into the fireplace. The hurt gnawed in his insides; for driving her away. Guilt, because it was his ancestor that cast the charm. And loss, because he knew he she was gone from him forever.  
  
He sighed and looked at his Head of house, and for a moment, allowed the older man to see that he had inner turmoil.  
  
"Everything went as planned," Draco started his story, "me and Hermione got there on time in the wizard inn. We changed and went to the Coronation. While in the Abby, I met an old ancestor of mine, he offered his coach to the Palace where the festivities where being held. Around midnight, we went to his...my coach and for some reason fell asleep. When we awoke to still be in the 15th Century, we went into that same inn, but they failed to recognize us."  
  
"We fell asleep?" Hermione asked incredulously, "_Together_?"  
  
Draco threw a sneer at her for interrupting, "You know Granger, we got along just fine over there." He mentally kicked himself for slipping information; she was not supposed to know that they got along...in more ways that one. If hating him forever was easier for her to do, he loved her enough not to try for her heart again.  
  
"You got along?" The headmaster asked Draco, his blue eyes searching into Draco's grays ones.  
  
"We came to a truce; enjoy the time we had there." He replied shortly, Dumbledore only nodded. 'There is just something short of disturbing about the way he can see right through me," Draco shivered mentally.  
  
"Go on." Snape said curtly.  
  
"When we changed our clothing, we decided it would be best for us to travel to my ancient family estate, the only magical place that I knew of. We made our way there by horse. The trouble started when we got there. My ancestor found out that Hermione was muggle-born and tried to hex her...it obviously worked." He finished, sounding a bit sad.  
  
"Why a Memory Charm?" Hermione asked him guardedly, "Why not a jinx or something worse?"  
  
"I didn't cast the charm so I would not know the reason behind it." Draco answered her shortly.  
  
"Something is odd about this," Professor McGonagall interrupted, "how long where you there for?"  
  
"About a week, maybe more." Draco replied.  
  
"A week??" Hermione and McGonagall asked at the same time, albeit, Hermione was more shrilly.  
  
"Yes, that is about right." Draco said to the Professors, confused. "Didn't a week pass here?"  
  
Snape sighed and cast a long look at Dumbledore, "No Mister Malfoy, you and Miss Granger were only gone for an hour."  
  
Draco looked at the Headmaster as if he just striped stark naked and started to dance around the common room. "Impossible." He said in an incredulous voice.  
  
"Come now, Mister Malfoy, we would not lie." Dumbledore said to the astonished young man.  
  
"Rubbish."  
  
"Mister Malfoy, I was in the class, you and Miss Granger were gone for only a half hour." McGonagall tried telling him.  
  
"How is that possible?" Draco asked in an unbelieving tone, "We were gone for days! I have the stubble to prove it!" he exclaimed, pointing to his chin for emphasis.  
  
"As much as I am enjoying this historical soap opera, if there is nothing wrong with my student I would like to return to my class." Snape said, rising from his chair. Before he reached the door, he turned on his heel and stared Draco in his eye, "If you ever need to talk Mr. Malfoy, my office is always open."  
  
"Of course, Professor Snape. If we have any new developments, I will contact you." Dumbledore told the Potions Master, but there was a silent request made through eye contact that they would have a meeting tonight.  
  
Snape bowed out, as did McGonagall. Dumbledore promised to get to the bottom of everything, and comforted Hermione about getting her memories back.  
  
"Whatever charm Mister Malfoy's ancestor used was probably from a ancient wand. Technically, the spell that is casted on you is over 500 years old. I will have a meeting with Professor Flitwick to see if there is a solution." The Headmaster said to the Hermione as he left their common room.  
  
"I really am sorry Hermione." Draco said suddenly, after about 20 minutes of silence.  
  
"About what? And since when am I 'Hermione'?" she asked. She did notice something was different about him since they landed rather harshly on the classroom floor. He seemed nicer, and quieter, and she caught him staring at her the whole time the Professors were in the common room.  
  
"Like I said...we got along for that week," he said almost wistfully, but covered it with his trademark frown, "I am sorry that my ancestor hexed you. I hope Flitwick finds something."  
  
With that said, he raised himself up from the chair and retired to his room, his bed...his big, cold lonely bed. 


	24. Chapter 24 A Love for All Time

Hermione shook her head as she watched the blond boy walk into his room. Something was definitely different about him...she wondered if it had to do with her.

Did he hex her?

Did he do something that he wanted to hide?

She wouldn't put it past Malfoy to do something completely horrible, and charm her memory afterwards. Hermione's eyes focused on the mahogany door that belonged to him and she made a promise to herself that she will somehow get her memory back.

She went to her bed, expecting her mind to be in a flur of activity. Instead she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

"_Mmm..." Hermione moaned into his shoulder, the delicious feeling of him in her sliding in and out racked her body. She gasped when he suddenly pulled out and turned her on her stomach. He worshiped her, from the soles of her feet to the sensitive back of her neck, all the white teasing her entrance with his member. Slick, and hard as lead, he entered her from behind in one long hard thrust. She moaned his name over and over into the bed like a liturgy; the throaty sounds encouraged him to pump harder and deeper, driving her further into the soft mattress. Until..._

Hermione woke up with a gasp, drenched in sweat. There was strange, unfamiliar stickiness between her legs that confused her. But not as much as that dream. She put her hand to her forehead and forced herself to take deep, steady breaths. When her normal breathing returned, she closed her eyes and tried to see in her minds eye who that person was. It couldn't be Ron or Harry, she would have known it...

!#$%

The next day, Hermione arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast and was quite surprised to see the amount of people that stared at her.

"What in bloody hell is wrong with these people?" She asked Ron while sliding next to him.

"They got wind of your adventure with Malfoy." Ron replied to her, then promptly stuffing his face with jam covered crumpets.

"Already?" she asked in Harry's direction. She knew it was a lost cause to talk to Ron when he ate.

"'Fraid so." Harry replied. "So, how did everything go?"

"Well..." she told the story, almost word for word to Harry, and to a listening Ron, and finished by revealing the fact that her and Malfoy got along for the whole time.

"Got along?" Harry asked her, his emerald eyes going wide.

"That's what he said," she said, sneaking a look to the Slytherin table, "and I believe him."

Ron chugged his pumpkin juice, "Why would he admit that, even if it were true?"

"Maybe he has a thing for her." Harry smiled at the outraged look on her face.

"Mal-he...Oh, Potter!" Hermione sputtered indignantly.

Ron's freckled nose cringed at the though, "But Malfoy though?"

"Why not?" Harry asked, completely ignoring the protesting outcries of Hermione.

"Because...I though he was gay." Ron said in a matter-of-factly voice that made Hermione stop protesting long enough to laugh.

!#$%

He raised his head at the sound of laughter coming from the Gryffindor table, and his heart contracted painfully.

There she was...radiant with morning beauty, a beauty that he had quite gotten used to seeing every morning. A beauty that very few women possessed.

"Drackie, I am so-o glad you are back home!" He heard a voice squeal from the seat next to him.

He turned his head to see the too-made-up face of Pansy Parkinson.

"Pansy...hi." He replied dumbly. He was sure that her makeup offended him...but at the same time scared him.

She threw her hands around his neck and squealed in anticipation, while Draco could only sigh and cast lonely looks to the Gryffindor table.

!#$

Hermione heard an unnatural sound coming from the Slytherin table. She looked up, as she was sure everybody in the Great Hall did and saw that it was only Pansy all over Draco.

'"Looks like at least one person Is glad he's back" Harry muttered to her.

Hermione wanted to comment, but a feeling of anger and jealousy welled up so fast and so furious, that tears started to flow down her face with out notice.

"Oh Merlin." She muttered miserably to herself; what the hell was wrong with her?

"Hermione! Are you ok?" Harry asked, alarmed at seeing his friend crying.

"I don't know...I just got this feeling..." she said to her bewildered friends who were looking more lost than her.

"Honestly guys, I'm fine. I guess it's an after affect of the spell" Hermione said to them in hopes of calming them down. She grinned mentally to herself, 'They can fight Death Eaters and Face Voldermort, but put them in front of a crying girl and they are like fish out of water.'

"Are you sure?" Ron asked softly. He raised his hand and started to wipe her tears when suddenly, she got a jolt of a feeling that filled her up from head to toe...a feeling of utter betrayal.

"What's wrong Hermione?" Ron asked her when she jumped back from his hand.

"Come on guys, we need to talk." Harry and Ron stuffed the last of their muffins in their mouths and followed Hermione out of the Great Hall.

!#$%

Draco felt the anger and hatred well up inside him like a gale storm when he saw the Weasel touching Hermione, but was utterly pleased when she jumped back from his hand like she was electrocuted.

His eyes followed them out of the Great Hall, and he wondered to himself if Hermione's subconscious was trying to remember something

"Draco?" he heard a voice from beside him, which snapped him from watching the Trio rush out the Hall.

He turned to see the mugs of Crabbe and Goyle, staring at him with the utmost identical happy expressions.

"Yes?" Draco asked him in an impatient voice, his eyes focused on the Great Hall Doors.

"We're glad you're back." Goyle said simply, and with a pat on Draco's back, they went to sit on either side of him, presuming everything went back to normal.

Draco raised his eyebrow at the gesture and nodded for them to join him.

!#$%

"But Hermione, its me!" Ron sputtered, hurt welling up in his eyes.

"I know Ron, but when you touched me, I felt like throwing up." Hermione replied to the boy in a matter of factly manner.

Harry smirked at her comment, knowing Hermione was completely oblivious to Ron's crush on her. "Why do you think that happened?" Harry asked her.

The three students left the Great Hall early to walk slowly to their Care of Magical Creatures class, which was to take place within the hour. They passed the great pillars, and were currently walking down the long path to Hagrid's hut.

"I think it has to do with the spell." Hermione said, concentrating and almost stumbling over a rock.

"Hermione and Drackie, sitting a tree..." Harry started off, but was promptly pushed to the ground and was getting beat with his own Care of Magical Creatures book.

"Harold James Potter!" Hermione yelled at him at the top of her lungs, "If you even joke about that one more time...bullocks!" she cried out, tripping over Harry's legs.

Ron was laughing so hard that he too joined them on the floor.

"Hermione?" Harry said in a pained voice.

"What?" She roughly asked back.

"I can't get up." He whimpered.

"Oh Merlin Harry, why?!" She immediately turned to tell Ron to run for help when she heard Harry calmly reply, "Because you are sitting on them your twit."

Going slightly red in the ears, Hermione, as gracefully as she could manage, got up from Harry and walked down the long stone path studiously ignoring the laughing boys behind her.

"'Ermione! Welcome back!" Hagrid boomed, enveloping her in a massive hug.

"Oh Hagrid," she wheezed, "Thank you."

"Still don't remember anything, don' yah?" He asked walking around to the side of his hut gathering what looked to be the shiniest hay she ever saw.

"No, but I'll break it." She said determinedly to him. He smiled in her and told her to join the rest of the class.

""Hermione!" Ron bellowed from a spot where all the students were gathering.

She walked over, passing the Slytherins and the rest of her Gryffindors. As she walked to the spot where Ron and Harry had their books out, a familiar smell assaulted her nose. Behind closed eyes, Hermione saw her herself amidst a large soft bed. She didn't know what was happening to her, but there was another warm body on top of her...

"Are you ok?" she heard a soft voice ask her.

"Lay off her Malfoy." She heard a very angry Ron in the far distance.

When the familiar fragrance hit her, memories of an alien nature came flooding into her head, which caused her knees to buckle. She would have fallen down had it not been for Draco, who happened to be standing next to his Slytherin goons.

"Draco?" Hermione whispered softly so that only he could have heard her.

"I'm here Hermione." He said delicately making sure to cradle her head, "can you get up?"

"I think so," she grimaced at the pounding in her head.

"Hermione, are you alright?" She opened her eyes to see Harry's startling green eyes peering into her brown ones. She couldn't help feel a small pang of disappointment although she couldn't figure out why.

"I'm fine." She said with a little more conviction. To her embarrassment, she gathered a small crowd of concerned Gryffindors and snickering Slytherins.

She got up and failed to see the warning look Draco sent the laughing Slytherins that quickly shut them up. It didn't get pass Harry.

"Alrigh' today we will be studying a favorite among the girls," Hagrid announced with a booming voice that caught everyone's attention. Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited and wondered what in the world Hagrid could have to offer that would appeal to the likes of Lavender and Parvati, the most girliest girls in the school.

"Unicorns." He said, pointing to a wooden enclosure holding two full-grown unicorns and one baby.

With a squeal of delight from the Gryffindors and the Slytherins girls, Hagrid's face broke out in a smile.

"This is great!" Hermione exclaimed feeling much better.

"Yea...great. Me and Harry get to sit around and watch you play with the unicorns." Ron muttered knowing the Unicorn's distrustful nature when it came to men.

"For the boys, today, you will be studying the Jarveys." Hagrid said, signaling the boys to follow him a little over 20 feet from the unicorns.

"Not them!" Ron said with a frown after looking into the enclosure.

"Ah Ron, don't worry, they just insult you to get free. Now three to a group, just study them for now and for home work I want six inches of scroll detailing what you like about them." Hagrid said with a smile.

"What are you smiling at you hairy troll?"

All the boys looked around for the source of the voice, wanting to know who would insult a teacher.

"Look at the lot of 'em, confused like first years."

Ron rolled his eyes and pointed into the enclosure where the Jarveys, which looked more like over-grown ferrets were looking up at all of them.

"Look at that one with the red hair, its offending me!" One of the Jarveys said, eliciting barks of laughter from the others.

"What about that fat one," another one said, motioning his head to Goyle, "looks like too much pumpkin pasties for that one."

Goyle ears burnt red as the rest of the boys sniggered in laughter.

"Don't let them bother you, just observe and take notes in their behavior today." Hagrid said, walking towards the girls who all looked sick with anticipation at working with the unicorns again.

Harry stifled a laugh at the Jarveys, who were still ripping everyone they could get into their eyesight.

"Oye, I can't even look at that one, his hair is like a bloody mirror." Motioning to Draco.

"Look at the teeth on that one!" Laughed one of them looking at Neville.

Ron sighed and took out his book, "This is going to be a great class."


	25. Chapter 25 A Love for All Time

A/N: What can I say? I am sorry for the lateness of my update.  I now understand the severity of writers block, and I think I should make a petition for Phizer to create a pill to get rid of it.  I really am sorry, and I promise more frequent updates.  And for all you baseball fans out there, now that the season is over, I can concentrate once more on my fic.  But, don't expect an update for aleast 2 weeks if they trade Jorge Posada, as I will be in jail for throtteling Brian Cashman. sigh On other notes, I am a participant in Inell's "Always the Quiet Ones" fic exchange for the Christmas season, so look out for that! I hope to update by Friday, I still have a few plot points to iron out.  Love you all, and thank you for your support!!

_!#$&()_

_Now, to the story...._

On the other side of the open space, the girls were taking cooing and petting the newborn unicorn foal.

"He is so precious!" Lavender exclaimed to Hagrid, the foal's nose buried deep in her palm.

"He was born two weeks ago, I was there when both his ma and pa were born, and they just showed up on my door step with it was time for him to be born." Hagrid said from inside the enclosure, where he was petting the male unicorn.

"Oooh!" Pavarti squealed as the foal nuzzled her, her face lighting up.

Hermione smiled, allowing herself the small indulgence of 'acting like a girl'. The calf really was a beautiful thing to see. He was a blight gold color that would fade to white in his adolescence. But, as of that moment, he was finely shaped, with a glittering patch of skin on his forehead where his horn would sure grow.

"Oooh Hagrid!" Lavender cooed, "I am so happy you decided to bring good animals this time."

Hermione shot a nasty glare to Lavender, and a sympathetic smile to Hagrid. "Oh Lavender, Hagrid has taught us about some wonderful animals."

"And I supposed the lesson on the Blast-Ended Skrewts was his crowning glory?" Sneered Pansy Parkinson who was pushing her way to the front of the queue.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "No one was talking to you Parkinson."

"Well I'm talking to you Granger-" Pansy snarled only to be cut off by Hagrid's booming voice.

"You can insul' my lessons, but dinna start no troubles here, or it'll be detention for you Parkinsons." He menacingly told the now cowering girl.

Hermione only smirked as Hagrid winked at her as he walked back to the enclosure.

"Now, listen carefully!" Hagrid said in his most loud voice, which elicited a more than a few nasty remarks from the Jarveys. "As there is only one calf, I am going to divide tha girls into groups. One group will be excused to go to the library, the others will study the Ma, pa, and baby unicorn respectively. Everyone isto report to class, I'll let yuh know which group'll be headin' on over to the library."

Hermione felt a pride swell in her, '_He really is becoming a wonderful teacher_.'

Hagrid divided the girls into four groups, careful to separate Hermione and Pansy. He wasn't like Snape who thrived on seeing house rivalry get in the way of schoolwork. Plus, Dumbledore told him that he 'had a good feeling' Pansy was feeling threatened by Hermione's time spent with Draco.

"Now, Group one, please head strait to the Library, yer essays are due for the next class." Hagrid told the group, which included Pansy and some of her cohorts. Grumbling, they all gathered their bags and with one last wistful glance at the baby unicorn prancing around the enclosure, they were gone.

"Now, Group two and three will follow me to the Ma and Pa unicorn, Group four you can head on into the cage and greet the baby. Remember, if you don't fear him, he won't fear you." He led the two groups to the adult unicorns, leaving Hermione and several other students outside the enclosure.

"Um...well, who would like to go first?" Hermione asked, smiling nervously.

They all shifted uncomfortably, remember the incident with Draco and the Hippogriff years before. The wrong approach can prove harmful.

"Why don't you go Hermione, you're Head girl." Hannah Abbot called out from the back.

"I've faced Lord Voldermort, do you really think I'm afraid of a Unicorn?" Hermione replied indignantly.

There was a collective gasp and grimace when she said the name, and Lavender stepped forward. "I'll go."

Hermione grinned at the girl and opened the enclosure. "Good luck!"

Lavender shot a smile at Hermione and tentatively stepped into the enclosure. In her hand was frozen cubes of sugar, a treat for the foal. At her approach, the foal neighed and cantered towards her, stopping a foot in front the girl. Willing herself not to be scared, she made soothing sounds and raised her hand that held the sugar. The entire class held their breath, and when the baby unicorn nuzzled Lavender's hand, and continued to lick her neck and face like a puppy, several girls volunteered to go in.

"Ok, Pavarti, Daphne, and Vicky you can join Lavender in the enclosure." Hermione smiled, opening the door to the enclosure.

The time passed by relatively quickly, and all the girls were with the baby, cooing and nuzzling it. Being the last girl, she let her self in the pen and closed it.

As she approached it, everything went deathly quiet, but she didn't notice. As she drew closer, she heard Hagrid's booming voice in the distance. Hermione lifted her hand to touch the foal's nose; she didn't know why, but there was an air of uneasiness, but she brushed it off. She brought her hand up to touch the foal's nose; and as she made contact with its skin, the baby reared back savagely, neighing in terror. Kicking violently, the unicorn's hoof made contact with Hermione head with a sickening thud, sending her quickly into inky darkness.

Everything was thrown into chaos; the girls started screaming all running at once to the door of the enclosure, the adult unicorns fought Hagrid fiercely to get to their foal, and the baby throwing himself at the fence to get to its parents .

_Across the way..._

"At least the women I bring back here are doable. The ones you brings back... I don't even wanna shake their hands. If they were on fire I'd have to stop and think about whether or not I'd piss on them." A voice bellowed from the far side of the spacious courtyard where the Jarveys were held.

"Are they always this unpleasant?" Harry asked Ron, frowning.

"I'm afraid so." Ron sighed, "Fred and George had a few, mum had a right fit when she heard what they said about Grand mum."

"You have to admit though..." Harry trailed off, taking notes.

"If they didn't want to be laughed at they shouldn't have been born retarded." A Jarvey cackled in Vincent and Greg's direction.

"They can be bloody hilarious." Ron grinned.


	26. Chapter 26 A Love for All Time

A/N: Friday! As promised!!  I am very proud of myself.  Thank you again, everyone, for the reviews...they mean so much to me.  Since I will be gone for one whole week, can you guys pleaaase spoil me with reviews?  Please?   
I really hope you guys are enjoying the story, this has been a great trip for me; from going back in time with Draco and Hermione to...well....you'll see.   
To all those celebrating Divali and Eid, enjoy your holidays!

"For Merlin's sakes, would the lot of you just shut the hell up?" Draco sneered at the sniggering Jarveys.

But before the Jarveys could have returned a surely biting come back, screams from the other side of the yard captured everyone's attention. Harry and Ron were the first to break out running, Draco very closely on their heels.

The three of them skidded to a halt seeing Hermione lying bloodied in the enclosure. The baby unicorn was uncontrollable, galloping and kicking, his hoofs only landing inches from Hermione.

Draco turned on the cowering girls, "One of you couldn't drag her?!" He roared, causing several of them to start crying.

From the far side, Hagrid was hard pressed keeping the parents under control. "Take sum cubes o' sugar 'n calm'r down!" He boomed, "And get Hermione to the Hospital Wing!"

Draco ran to a table near the entrance and grabbed several sugar cubes from the surface. "Take these, make eye contact, and sing!" Draco ordered, shoving the cubes of sugar into Harry's hand.

"Sing?" Harry asked incredulously, "You want me to sing?"

"What if the Unicorn goes ape shit on Harry as well, you git?" Ron raged at him, "Make yourself useful and distract the Unicorn, Harry will grab Hermione, and I'll get Madam Pomfrey." He made the move to start running when Draco grabbed him by the arm.

"You don't understand, Weasely." Draco spat through gritted teeth, "I can't go in there."

With one last glance at Hermione on the floor, Draco left in a speed across the school grounds to get the nurse, cursing himself with every step. He knew why Hermione was hurt, and so would the Headmaster. Nothing would get past him.

"The bloody COWARD!" Ron screeched after him.

"We have no time for that, come, help me!" Harry commanded, pulling on Ron's robe.

Muttering expletatives that would have made a sailor blush, Harry and Ron soothed the baby Unicorn and levitated Hermione out of the enclosure.

When they set her down, Madam Pomfrey, along with the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall appeared, their faces etched with worry.

"Is it bad Poppy?" Dumbledore asked, kneeling down beside the nurse.

"I need to get her to the hospital wing immediately Albus, have a carrier to St. Mungo's ready incase." Madam Pomfrey whispered to the Headmaster before she disappeared with the hospital Port Key.

"Is she going be alright?" Harry asked, numbed with shock. She looked so pale.

"I do not know Mr. Potter, until Madam Pomfrey examines her." Dumbledore remarked, touching Harry's shoulder.

"Where is Malfoy?" Ron asked in a dangerously low voice.

"He has opted to stay in the Hospital Wing, being Head Boy, Mr. Malfoy felt it is his responsibility." He replied.

"He said he couldn't go in, Professor." Ron muttered, "He's nothing but a coward"

Dumbledore seemed to freeze. Harry, noticing this, looked up the Headmaster, "Did he really say that, Mr. Weasely?"

"Yes, then he ran off to find help." Ron replied, folding his arms.

Dumbledore gave a significant glance to Harry. "You and Harry are excused from classes for the rest of the day. I suggest you return to the Gryffindor common room and wait for word on Hermione."

With a crack, the Headmaster was gone, presumably to the Hospital Wing. Hagrid came over, offering tea back at his cabin after dismissing the class.

"Thanks Hagrid, but I think its best to try and see how Hermione is doing." Harry mumbled, pushing the dirt around with this foot.

"Alrig' then, if yer hear anythin'..." He trailed off, when receiving a half hearted smiled and a nod from both boys.

They started the long trek up to the school, up the steps, around the massive rocks into the school. Neither boys said much; both of their minds were on two different planes. One thought of an evil, blonde, cowardly Slytherin, while the other tried to deduce the cryptic look even to him by the Headmaster.

!#$&()!#$&()!#$&()

Hermione lay stretched out on the pristine white bed, her uniform cast aside. Bottles of potions, balms, and salves were askew, as Madam Pomfrey used every method possible to find where Hermione's internal bleeding was located.

She ran her wand over the girls' midsection for the fifth time. There was a massive buildup of blood there, but her kidneys were fine, as her liver, stomach and intestines. The frantic nurse turned to summon the carrier to St. Mungo's when a bright red stain caught her eye from the reflection of the medicine cabinet.

Swirling around, she strode quickly to the bed and ripped the sheet off the girl's naked body.

'_Oh, Merlin..._' Madam Pomfrey thought as she saw a copious amount of blood leaking from between Hermione's legs.

With a quick test she confirmed it; Hermione was having a miscarriage. Such a violent trauma to one's body...its was no wonder she thought Hermione was internally bleeding.

With a sad sigh, she began to administer sleeping draughts and other potions to keep Hermione from loosing too much blood.

Several hours later, Hermione was in a natural sleep, and Madam Pomfrey was in a meeting with the Headmaster.

!#$&()

"Miscarriage?" Dumbledore repeated, completely floored by the news.

"I am afraid so." Madam Pomfrey sighed sadly, "She was little over a month gone."

"I figured much the reason she couldn't touch the unicorn..." Dumbledore trailed off, now lost in a hundred thoughts.

"I am not one to pass judgments Headmaster, but don't you think it's a bit queer Ms. Granger comes back with no memory and pregnant?" She reluctantly said.

"Then I suggest you don't Poppy." Dumbledore whispered quietly, his eyes hard.

With an understanding bow, she let her self out of the Headmaster's office to her charge in the Hospital Wing.

!#$&()

If anyone walked in on the Headmaster the moment the school nurse left, they would have told you Albus Dumbledore looked every day of his long life.

He sat there for hours contemplating his next move. He, of course, would have to eventually tell Draco, as he was sure Hermione was pregnant with his child. But what about Harry and Ronald? Was it his place as their educator and friend to tell them of Hermione's plight?

He closed his eyes to think, and when he opened them not a moment later, it was morning. With a sigh, he sent a missive to Harry, Ron, and Draco that they were to be excused from all classes and would wait to see the Headmaster.

It was mid-day when Draco, his first appointment, walked into the office. The air about him was supremely confident, but anyone could have seen the fear and trepidation in his eyes.

"Please, have a seat Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore offered, his hand conjuring a comfortable chair.

"Thank you. Professor." Draco murmured after sitting.

"Lemon Drop?" Dumbledore offered the confused boy.

Draco took one just to be polite, and as the Headmaster replaced the bowl of candy on his desk, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I assume you want to know the status of our Head Girl, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked, cutting off whatever Draco was going to ask.

"That is correct sir." Draco replied, nodding.

"She will be fine, but before I tell you what her injuries are, I would like to talk to you about lesson yesterday." He said, eliciting a confused look from the Slytherin.

"Uh, sure!" Draco said a little too brightly.

"You studied the Unicorns yesterday, correct?" asked Dumbledore, shifting some papers on his desk.

"No, Headmaster." Draco responded, "The girls and the boys were separated, we studied the Jarveys."

"Ahh, that is right, my apologies, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore replied. "Well, in that case, let me educate you on the unicorn. Of all the magical beasts we have in the world, the Unicorn is one of the most pure and defenseless animals. They have agility, and no natural predators to speak; they are beautiful, trusting animals. You are well aware that some years ago, Voldermort murdered several unicorns in the Forbidden Forest."

"Yes, I served detention the night we discovered it." Draco shuddered, remembering the night.

"Do you know why that crime was s horrendous, Mr. Malfoy? Because the Unicorn is the most innocent, almost angelic animals. And, Mr. Malfoy, in turn, only the innocent can handle the unicorn." He finished quietly.

Draco closed his eyes and sighed. He knew it, he knew that was the reason the unicorn went crazy when Hermione touched it. She wasn't an innocent anymore, she wasn't a virgin.

"Is there anything you would like to tell me now, Draco?" Dumbledore asked, after several minutes of silence.

"I...it..." Draco began, looking at the Headmaster; he didn't know where to start.

"The beginning, Draco." He smiled, "It's a good place to go from."

Draco sighed, "We got there, to the inn, and Hermione offered a truce; she said it was a once in a life time thing, and we should enjoy it. We changed..." he stopped, remember how she looked, "she looked so beautiful, and I remember kissing her. We went to the Coronation, and an ancestor of mine approached us. He noticed my Malfoy signet, and thought I stole it as only the living male heir could have it."

"I remember." Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, his name was Lethe. To continue, Hermione and I went to the festivities to Celebrate after, we danced, she laughed and we had a great time. When it was close to midnight, we decided to return to the inn, change and wait for our rings to take us back." He continued, his eyes cloudy with memory. "The carriage ride back...when I said we fell to sleep...we didn't...we..." Draco gave an embarrassed glance to Dumbledore, who nodded in understanding.

"It was the next morning, we retuned to the inn, no one remembered us, and everything I said from them on was truthful. We traveled up to my family's estate, my grandfather attacked Hermione..." He trailed off, his voice sad.

The Headmaster looked at the blonde boy with pity, but he hid it well. Draco...loved Hermione. In all his years, this was one match he didn't see coming.

"Draco...what I am going to tell you is very hard for me to do." Dumbledore started, looking into Draco's red eyes.

"Headmaster?" Draco breathed, "Is it Hermione?"

"I am afraid so." He replied sadly, "When the foal kicked Hermione, she suffered a massive trauma."

Draco held his breath.

"Draco...Hermione suffered a miscarriage."

Everything went white. Then black. Then back to white. He felt his heart beat a rapid tattoo, the blood rushing into his ears, and the distant voice of the Headmaster.

"Draco..." Dumbledore consoled, "Madam Pomfrey did everything she could. If we knew of Hermione's situation, I would have forewarned her not to go near the Unicorns."

"This is my fault..." Draco whispered, tears blurring his vision

"This was no ones fault, Draco." The Headmaster replied in a hard voice.

"I should have told you the truth...that we...we..." Draco's voice broke, as his face screwed up.

"Hermione is going to be fine Draco, she will have other children, she will be healthy." He came around the desk and sat next to Draco, "This was just an unfortunate accident, Draco."

He looked up, his eyes red from unshed tears, "Do you really think she will _want_ to have another baby with _me_, Professor?" he hissed.

"She allowed herself to be taken by you once Draco, and you insist it was consensual." Dumbledore interjected.

"It was, Professor." He said through a ragged breath.

"Can I offer my pensive, Mr. Malfoy?" He asked softly.

Draco looked up at the old Headmaster. His memories! That was something you couldn't fake or alter; if push came to shove he would prove it to Hermione that they did have deep feelings for each other.

"I would appreciate that, Professor." Draco said, getting up from the chair.

"Get yourself together and I will send a house elf with it." Draco nodded and left the Headmaster's office.

He returned to his chair and sat down, he glanced up at the clock and noticed over two hours had passed. With a resigned sigh, he sent for Harry and Ron.

!#$&()!#$&()

Draco stood in front of the Hospital Wing, palms sweating; he brought his hands up and knocked on the door.

A very aggravated Madam Pomfrey welcomed him, "Mister Potter! Mister Weasely! If I have to tell you one more time-" She stopped in mid-sentence when she noticed it was Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy, are you ill?" She recovered, not missing a beat.

"I know about Hermione's condition Madam Pomfrey, and I was wondering if I could be able to see her." Draco hesitated.

"If the Headmaster approves, then yes," She allowed him in, poking her head outside to see if Harry and Ron were still floating around, "but please, make it quick."

She brought him to a remote room at the back of the Hospital Wing. Opening the door, he stepped in giving Madam Pomfrey a small, thankful smile.

He carefully walked over to the bed. She looked much better that when they brought her in the day before. She was less pale, and the gash on her head had healed quite nicely. He stood there, hands in pocket, looking at her from head to toe, but his eyes stopped at her stomach. His child, his and Hermione's child was growing there, and because of his stupidity, it was dead. Maybe it was a sign; maybe he was destined to be the last Malfoy. Hermione wouldn't want to touch him after finding out about the miscarriage.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that Hermione had woken. She was surprised to see someone in the room, standing at such close proximity, but not touching her. At first she thought it was Harry, maybe Ron, but once her eyes adjusted to the sunlight that was flooding through the windows, she was surprised to see Draco Malfoy.

She wasn't angry or scared that he was in the room alone with her. It gave her a sense of overwhelming comfort to know that he was there. If he were to leave now, she knew she would cry, why, she didn't know.

She noticed his eyes starting to crawl back up her body, and she closed them quickly. She didn't know why, but she didn't feel like facing him now.

He pulled a chair next to her bed, and she felt his warm breath on her face.

"I don't know if you can hear me Hermione," He started, his voice strained with emotion, "But I am sorry. I should have told you we made love, I should have told you that you almost died for me, but would you believe it?"

He sighed and kissed her hand, "No. Because I am Draco Malfoy. Will you ever know of our child you lost?"

He stopped to gather his thoughts, and his tears, "That would be up to Harry and Ron, as I am sure they would want to keep the fact that you felt enough emotions for me to take your virginity a secret."

He kissed her again, "I love you Hermione."

He let go of her hand and placed it on her stomach, "And I will wait for you."

!#$&()

"HE WHAT??" Ron screeched.

"SHE LOST WHAT??" Harry bellowed over Ron.

"If you would please sit, I can tell my story further." The Headmaster said, trying to calm the irate boys.

"How could you let this happen?" Harry asked, his voice dangerously low.

"Is that why she came back with no memory? Because he raped her?" Ron growled, his face as red as his Gryffindor sweater.

"From what Mister Malfoy tells me, Harry, it was completely consensual between the two." He replied, his voice patient.

"Wait till I get my hands on him..." Ron said, a maniacal grin creeping on his face.

"You will do _no_ such thing, Mister Weasely!" Dumbledore roared, snapping Ron out of his vengeful daydream.

Hearing the Headmaster's rarely raised voice, both boys calmed quickly. "I will leave you with this, beware, you may get angry at some of the images, but I will let you see for your selves." Dumbledore said, getting up he rested a silver bowl on his desk, and left the office.

"What in bloody hell is that?" Ron asked, looking at the smoke spilling from it.

"His Pensive..." Harry started slowly, "He wants us to see Malfoy's memories."

"Why?" Ron asked, his lip curling.

"Because memories can't be altered..." he replied.

"So...Dumbledore expects us to believe what ever is in there?" Ron asked incredulously.

"I trust him." Harry said, giving his friend a searching look.

"Its Malfoy, Harry." Ron said, his hard voice breaking, "He doesn't deserve her."

"Yeah...but she was going to have his baby Ron...what would have happened if she never touched the Unicorn?" Harry asked, poking the water inside the bowl with his wand.

"Lets just get his over with." Ron sighed, approaching the bowl.

!#$&()!

Hermione lay there in total and utter shock. She was unable to speak, even after Draco left. She...was pregnant? That would mean....

'_That would mean Draco and I...did...it!_' One part of her mind moaned.

'_Like you didn't feel there was something different, ninny._' The other side retorted.

'_Its not true, maybe I misunderstood!_'' The other part replied.

'_So, tell me. Why couldn't you touch the unicorn?_''

Hermione groaned into the pillow, which caused Madam Pomfrey to rush in.

"You are awake! Thank goodness!" She beamed, "I'll go tell the Headmaster at once!"

"I had a miscarriage?" Hermione asked softly, emotion constricting her throat.

"Ms. Granger..." Madam Pomfrey sighed, all smiles disappearing from her face, "I think the Headmaster should be the once to talk to you."

Hermione nodded, watching the flustered nurse half run out the door. She was confused. Why wasn't she angry with Malfoy for not telling her the extent of their relations on the trip? Why didn't she feel used and dirty for giving something so precious to someone like Malfoy? Why did it feel right?

She closed her eyes and cried, for the first time in Hermione Granger's life, she knew what it was to love.


	27. Chapter 27 A Love for All Time

A/N: Hello all! First of all I want to apologize for keeping you guys waiting for months, I had a case of Whitescreen and I needed getting a gooding yelling from jackie to get things rolling again. Everyone say "Thanks Jackie!"  
I really hope to get this done by the end of this month. Expect another update on friday! Love you all!

(-)

Hermione nodded, watching the flustered nurse half run out the door. She was confused. Why wasn't she angry with Malfoy for not telling her the extent of their relations on the trip? Why didn't she feel used and dirty for giving something so precious to someone like Malfoy? Why didn't it feel wrong?

She snapped back to reality when she heard the door click closed. The Headmaster approached with a warm smile on his face.

"Hermione," he whispered, as if he could tell that she wanted to bolt out the room, out of Hogwarts and away from all her troubles.

Hermione looked up at the aged Headmaster and as much as she wanted too, she couldn't bring herself to be angry with him.

"Why?" She choked out.

"I can't tell you why, Hermione." He sighed as he sat down next to her bed. "After an extensive and exhausting conference with Mr. Malfoy, I have come to the conclusion that he indeed had your best intentions in mind by not telling you of the extent of your relationship."

Hermione sat up and stared at him, "Something as important as having a child would warrant a rude awakening! What if Hagrid never brought the Unicorns? Then what?"

"That road, Ms. Granger, would have been traveled had we come to it," Dumbledore asserted, "but you have to realize that events that take place in our life is beyond us as mere mortals to calculate the outcome."

"Yes, but certain events we should be able to control." Hermione snapped, not able to hold her temper.

Dumbledore stared at the fiercely independent young woman in front of him and he felt his lips tug at the corners into a smile.

"I expect your protectors to be here at any moment," He said, getting up from the chair at the side of the bed, "I'm sure they will have more answers than me."

He smiled at Hermione, who at the moment couldn't find anything to be amused about. She watched him leave the room before deciding on a plan of action.

Would she confront him?

Could she?

What would she say?

Could Draco Malfoy really have feelings other than loathing and disgust for her?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Harry and Ron walked in her room and enveloped her in a hug.

"We were so worried Hermione." Harry smiled, happy to see his first mate awake.

"It was awful," Ron started, grabbing the Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans that was on top the mountain to cards and gifts wishing Hermione a speedy recovery, "the Unicorn just went bloody mad, his feet were landing right near your head…" he stopped, noticing that Hermione had gone pale.

Harry rolled his eyes, "How are you feeling?"

Hermione looked at her boys and smiled. She fingered the ring that Professor McGonagall gave her, the four emeralds danced off the sunlight streaming through the windows.

"I know." She whispered so softly that the boys had to lean in to hear her.

Ron and Harry gave each other a sidelong look. They both were silent, waiting for her to start the difficult conversation.

"There are two things we could do…" Hermione started, still playing with the ring on her hand, " we could confront him, hex him, and make sure he never does this to another girl," Ron nodded at that suggestion, "or we can go on like nothing happened."

"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" Harry asked, surprised at her calm demeanor.

"Malfoy doesn't know that we know," Hermione reasoned, "let us just enjoy what is left of out seventh year together."

"But Hermione, the baby?" Ron asked quietly.

She sighed. She knew that they would want her innermost feelings on the situation, but at the moment, she wasn't sure what they were, thus she bore no guilt lying to them.

"I don't remember…" she stopped, searching her thoughts to find the proper words, "the events the lead up to me getting pregnant, so I can't say exactly that I am devastated that I lost…my child."

Harry sucked his breath in sharply; it was still a shock to him that Hermione was going to have a baby. Acknowledging it was a huge step for all three of them.

Ron took his hand and ran is through Hermione's wavy hair, "Then lets enjoy the rest of our year. No thoughts of Malfoy, or the trip…only thoughts of now."

She smiled up at him and glanced at Harry, who nodded his head in approval.

"So it's settled then?" Hermione breathed, "Malfoy nor the baby…never happened?"

Harry rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "They happened, you learned, but it's in the past. It wouldn't be fair to your…child…after all, it was innocent of its father's intent."

Ron grinned at his best friend, "Well said."

Harry smiled back, "With Hermione gone, some one needed to be the smart one."

Hermione shook her head when Ron threw a mock punch at Harry. _'Some things never change.'_ She smiled, watching the boys.

Her hand crept its way to her stomach, _'Some things do.'_


	28. Chapter 28 A Love for All Time

A/N: As promised! Thank you all again for the wonderful reviews! I urge anyone who reads to review please, it lets me know how I am doing and if you all like it or not. It only takes 10 seconds, please? Next update will come on Monday as this weekend will be quite busy. Enjoy!

(-)

Draco's temper became more and more tumultuous as the year went on. No one dared to talk to him about what happened between him and Hermione. The whole of the Slytherin house had bets going on what happened between the two.

After the Unicorn incident, the entire school was in an uproar about Hermione. It was quite obvious to the ones that paid attention why Hermione couldn't touch the Unicorn. When rumors started to spread like wild fire among the houses, Draco took the Head Boy initiative and doled out punishments left and right.

Argus Filch was never happier.

He assumed Hermione might have thought him her savior of sorts, after he saved her reputation numerous times. She gently reminded him in their Common Room one night that she didn't need his help. She was used to being talked behind her back; she was after all, Harry Potter's best friend.

That was their last bit of conversation. Hermione spent more and more time in the Gryffindor Common Room, coming to bed only when she thought Draco would be sleeping.

Now, Graduation was upon them, and what should have been a joyous time for Draco, was fast becoming his reason for leaving the blasted school. The Head Boy and Girl along with all the prefects were working diligently to make sure the Graduation and the party after wards went off smoothly.

"How about Muggle parents, Hermione?" Ernie Macmillan asked from across the elongated table where parchments were askew.

Hermione looked up from a letter she received from the Ministry, "What about them?"

"How are we transporting them?" He asked, quill in hand.

"The same as we do every year, Macmillan, they go to Diagon Alley via The Leaky Cauldron where they will take the Floo Network to Hogwarts." Draco barked from next to Hermione, "Honestly, if you are too lazy to research how it was done last year then you should not be on this committee."

Ernie's face went three shades of red as he got up to look for the parchments from last year's Graduation.

"You didn't have embarrassed him so." Hermione muttered so only Draco could hear.

"If you wouldn't keep insisting on taking the blame for their mistakes, I wouldn't have to." Draco retorted, his eyes never leaving the scroll of Graduating students.

She pressed her lips together and continued to check off the invitations to be sent to the Muggle parents.

Three months…her belly would have been quite small still…

'_Stop it!'_ She screamed to herself, causing her to visibly jump and earning her a strange look from Draco, which she ignored.

It was three long months ago when she, Ron and Harry decided that whatever happened between her and Draco was done. She thought she was fine. She threw herself back into her studies, and she relished in it. The professors were happy to have her back. Even Snape treated her like normal.

Normality was what she craved.

Before the incident, her life was normal. Well, as normal ones' life is when they are friends with Harry Potter. She got up in the morning, went to school, did her homework, study and sleep. Of course there was patrolling and other Head Girl duties, but her life was predictable…normal.

Then _he_ happened. After the hospital everything changed. She blamed her inexcusable feelings for Draco on left over hormones from her pregnancy.

That was three months ago, and they were still there.

She took a quick glance at Draco and immediately regretted it. It was a Saturday;he was out of his school robes wearing instead black pants and a gray shirt. His hair was in a ponytail and his newest accessory. Glasses.

She thought it was bollocks the first time she saw him in glasses. She thought it was his new tool for picking up women, and it worked. But glancing at him now, it seemed that he really needed them for reading.

She sighed inwardly and made her eyes go back to her parchment. McGonagall needed this list by the end of today to send the invitations out.

"I'm done!" Draco exclaimed, throwing his quill down. He finished compiling the list of Wizard parents to be invited.

Hermione looked up, "Great, leave them there, I'll be done soon, and I will take them to Professor McGonagall."

He shrugged and reached over to get a Pumpkin Pasty, courtesy of Dobby, who didn't want Hermione starving.

Hannah surfaced from somewhere on the floor, "I'm thirsty, anything left to drink?" She searched the table and saw the two empty Pumpkin juice pitchers.

Hermione's throat felt dry as well, "If you would like, you can go down to the Gryffindor common room and tell Harry and Ron to get some treats from the kitchen."

"I think I will, it's too hot in here." Hannah replied. She started to walk to the door when Ernie went into the fit of sneezing from dust on a parchment from a Graduationin 1789.

"I'll come with…" he managed to say before continuing to sneeze.

Hannah unsuccessfully hid her smile as she took by the shoulders and led him out the room.

The silence was deafening, and she could have sworn that Draco was hearing the blood surge through her veins.

"Am I really that offsetting, Granger?" Draco asked, his eyes resting on the base of her throat.

The sound of his voice made her visibly jump, ruling out any smarmy retorts she might have had. "Not at all."

"Then why is your pulse racing?" He drawled in that familiar Malfoy tone.

Hermione rolled her eyes but continued to look at the parchment, "Since when have you been paying attention to my pulse, Malfoy?"

"Since we were attacked in ye ole England. You were a mess, you passed out and refused to be awoken." He recalled, a smirk on his face.

At once Hermione ire rose. "How dare you!" She spat, rising up from her seat with a speed that surprised Draco. "You dare to poke fun at things that I can't remember? You think its _fun_ having that power over me?"

He stood up with the same speed and laid his palms flat on the table, "My intention was not to poke anything of mine at you Granger, it was a joke."

"Well, it wasn't a joke to me! You think its fun not remembering?" Hermione shouted, her face leaning dangerously close to his.

"Maybe _some _things were better left forgotten!" He retaliated, his voice rising.

"Like what Malfoy?" She said through clenched teeth, "What do you have to hide?"

The comment struck him as if she slapped him. She spoke like an educated person; a person who knew the truth.

At that moment, Hannah and Ernie walked into the little room their arms full of confectionary goodies.

Hermione and Draco sat back down and hoped the two saw nothing.

He turned to her and noticed that her pulse was still racing, "If you only knew Hermione…you would jump off the highest tower in Hogwarts." He got up and left the room, nodding to Hannah and Ernie on his way out.

They both looked at Hermione, who simply told them, "He has patrol tonight, he went to rest."

The two went about their work, but Hermione couldn't concentrate anymore. She was too busy berating herself for almost letting Draco know that she knew of the baby.

"Guys, I think we are about done for today." Hermione hummed while stretching. "I'll go give these to Professor McGonagall, so I'll see you two tomorrow."

With a smile and wave, Hermione left the two the rolled up parchments in hand. The long walk to the McGonagall's office allowed Hermione's mind to wander. She thought about how big her belly would have been right at this moment. It would have been small at three months, not visible under most clothing. Then she thought of Draco in his glasses, rubbing her belly and laughing.

Laughing. She remembered seeing him laughing! Hermione stopped and put her hand on her forehead, forcing the memory to surface. She saw it…it was blurry, but it was there. She and Draco were dancing in a huge ballroom. Green, she was wearing a green dress. Draco was looking at her, and he was laughing.

Hermione was perspiring a bit when there was no more to remember. He was laughing, that meant she was enjoying herself as well…but to the extent to sleep with him?

The sound of laughter from the far side of the hallway pulled Hermione from her daydream. When her vision cleared she saw two first years staring at her awkwardly.

'_Merlin, I must look like a complete ninny.'_ Hermione thought while giving the students a smile. One of them cocked an eyebrow and walked away.

She shook her head and walked to the Professor's door. She would figure it out later.


	29. Chapter 29 A Love for All Time

A/N: Hello all! Thank you for your wonderful reviews! TomFeltonsDancer, I tried getting your e-mail, but I don't think you made it available for the public, why don't you e-mail me privately? I wanted to update Monday as promised, but it was Valentines Day, so my fiancee made plans with side tracked me. I wanted to continue this chapter with dialouge and whatnot, but I had a better idea. So Chapter 30 may not be the last Chapter :). I am writing Chap 30 right now, so i hope to have it up before the weekend.  
My brother is coming from from Japan after three years in the Marines. So, as you can imagine...I am a very happy person.

(-)

Draco felt restless.

Uneasy.

Bored out of his mind.

His confrontation with Hermione had sparked something with in him that he thought was long dead; his feelings for her.

He paced the Slytherin common room, throwing nasty glares to anyone who even sent him a peculiar look.

"What's crawled up your ass and died Malfoy?" he heard a deep voice call out from the entrance of the dungeon.

Draco turned around and was about to give Blaise the hexing of his life, but stopped. A friendwas what he needed now.

"Come now Draco, the entire House is in a tizzy over what got you in heat." Blaise smirked knowingly.

Draco scoffed but allowed the negative energy to leave.

"There is a Butterbeer with your name on it at the Three Broomsticks." Blaise offered, patting Draco on the shoulder.

"Then lets go." He replied roughly.

They walked to Hogsmead in friendly silence. Blaise knew better than to ask Draco about any of his problems. All he could do is offer the boy his shoulder and wait.

They walked into the Three Broomsticks, and was surprised at the amount of students. The majority was seventh years, but sixth and fifth years were spotted.

He spied half the Weasley clan by their red hair along with Potter.

_She_ wasn't there.

Not that he was looking.

"If you stare at that table any longer, I'm going to begin to think that you have a thing for red hair." Blaise quipped at Draco, who scowled in reply.

They ordered their butterbeers, and sat in silence until they came. Draco needed a distraction while he talked; incase he needed to stop himself; he had something to shove into his mouth.

Blaise was the only person that knew what went on. Of course there was Potter and Weasley…Draco cringed at the thought of the two boys looking at his most private memories with Hermione in the Pensieve.

"We got into a bit of a confrontation today." Draco started, "She asked me, 'You have something to hide?'"

Blaise lifted an eyebrow, "She knows?"

Draco shook his head, "Impossible. If she knew I would be missing my manhood right now."

Blaise snorted into his butterbeer.

Draco shrugged his shoulder and continued to sip his drink. Behind him he could hear the loud laughter from the Weasleys.

"I still like her, you know." Draco admitted, not looking Blaise in the eye.

"Of course you do. You would be an idiot to let something like her _birth_ get in the way of your happiness." He replied loftily.

"I'm past that." Draco scowled; he knew his reputation of being a Mudblood hating Malfoy would haunt him until he left this earth.

"Does she know that?" Blaise asked, his eye drifting to Ginny, who pretended not to notice his stare.

"No." Draco admitted. "Would you please _stop_ playing googly eyes with the Weasley girl?"

The wickedly flirtatious smile Blaise was sending Ginny disappeared when his eyes met those of this friend. He placed his hand on Draco's shoulder. "You how you feel, Draco. Coming here, trying to drown your sorrows in butterbeer isn't going to help your situation at all. Make her see the truth."

Draco sighed.

Easier said than done.

He threw money on the table for the two drinks and started to leave The Three Broomsticks. He ignored the wolfish grin Blaise threw Ginny, but what he couldn't ignore was the way Harry and Ron acted.

They completely ignored him.

No nasty words, no insults, not even glare.

"What was that all about in there?" Blaise asked him as they started the long walk back to Hogwarts.

"Potter and Weasley?" Draco muttered. "As always, they blame me for what happened to Hermione."

"They know?" Blaise asked, tripping over a piece of raised sidewalk.

"Yes, they do know." Draco growled, getting angrier. "They know that it was _not_ only my fault what happened to Hermione…they also should know that _she_ was the one that asked _me_ to kiss her…"

"And they didn't _tell_ her!" Blaise exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"Let me tell you something about the Golden Trio, Blaise," Draco snapped, turning to his friend, "the bond between them is supposed to be unbreakable. Do you know what would have happened if they told her? She would leave them."

Blaise raised a perfectly arched brow, "And you're so sure about this…how? Maybe they are scared for Hermione"

"They are not scared!" Draco maintained, pacing the busy sidewalk, eliciting stares from mostly everyone walking by.

Blaise made a motion with his hands that told Draco to continue, but he was sure Draco missed it, as he was not even looking at Blaise.

"No one is good enough, I am not good enough for her! Me! They damn well know what happened and how I feel; yet they choose to ignore that! They are using this for revenge."

Blaise's eyes opened once more in astonishment, "No!"

Draco scowled at him and started to walk again.

"Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley…forsaking their best mate's happiness for revenge!" Blaise laughed at the backwardness of the situation.

Draco threw another scowl at Blaise, which shut him up.

They walked in silence, taking the long way into school; they bypassed the long bridge and walked towards the lake.

Blaise stopped dead in his tracks and pulled Draco's shirt. Draco was about to throw yet another scowl at the boy.

"Look who is taking in some sun by the lake." Blaise grinned, motioning with his chin.

Draco followed his line of vision to see a very relaxed Hermione lounging by riverside. She was leaned against a tree, surrounded by her books. Her head was rested back on the tree and she was fast asleep.

Blaise gave him a playful shove before he started to walk off.

"Go on, then." He smirked before disappearing with a speed Draco thought he only saw on brooms.

With a resigned sigh, Draco knew this was his chance to talk to Hermione while she was relaxed and had no other duties on her mind or her two minions guarding her.

He straitened his back and walked to the sleeping Hermione, nestled under tree by the lake.


	30. Chapter 30 A Love for All Time

A/N: March 1 was my birthday so I went to the Bahamas. That is all, i will let you get to the story now!

(-)

Hermione paced her bedroom.

'_That did **not** go well._' She thought franticly, '_At all!_'

She plopped down on her bed and buried her face in her hands.

She was sleeping by the lake, enjoying the warm summer afternoon when she felt a presence. Someone was watching her, she was sure of it. She had opened her eyes a crack and saw none other than Draco Malfoy walking towards her.

So she did what any normal girl would do in a situation that like.

She ran.

How bloody embarrassing! She, best friend to Harry Potter, fought three headed dogs and Death Eaters was afraid of a boy!

Herface felt hot at the look on his face when she got up and ran from him. He seemed…hurt. Draco? Hurt? Merlin, if only she could _remember_ what happened for the Project! She had these feelings; unexplainable feelings that ran so deep within her that it just couldn't be a schoolgirl crush.

She nearly screamed bloody murder when she heard a knock at her door. She willed her heart to calm down and counted to ten before answering.

"Y-yes?" She stammered, then cleared her throat, "Who is it?"

"What the hell was that about back there?" Draco demanded from the other side of the door.

"What are you talking about?" She asked in a light voice.

"Open the door." He said quietly.

She sighed and walked slowly to the door. Opening it, she found a very angry Draco staring back at her. She almost wanted to close the door again.

"What?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. She tried to give off an annoyed vibe, but she was sure that Draco didn't notice.

He grabbed her by her shoulders and started at her.

She felt that she couldn't breathe. He was looking at her so intensely that silent tears started to roll down the side of her face. Something huge was happening. She could feel it.

Draco felt his heart beating in his throat. He couldn't stand this cat and mouse game anymore. He couldn't take Harry and Ron being the only people that were standing in his way for a happy future.

"Do you trust me?" He stressed, his voice breaking.

Hermione looked away, breaking contact from his steely gray eyes. Did she? Could she? Should she? She looked up again at him and almost cried out in the amount of emotion she saw in his eyes.

"Yes." She whispered.

He let go on the vice grip he had on her shoulders and grabbed her hand. The contact was soft, but firm; he would not let her run away again.

She thanked very deity she could think of that the moment that it was a spectacular day outside and most of the students were out of the school. It would seem very strange for the Head Boy and Girl, sworn enemies, holding hands, half running through the school.

Hermione was breathless by the time they got to their final destination.

"Dumbledore's office?" she panted between breaths.

He nodded and stared to name every candy he could think of in the name of Wizarding history until the gargoyle sprang from in front the moving staircase at the sound of "Chocoballs."

"Come on." He urged, not wanting to let the feelings of guilt get to him yet.

They walked into the Headmaster's office. Thankfully he was not there, but Draco was sure they didn't have much time. He headed over to an old cabinet and started searching the shelves.

"Draco! Are you _insane_?" Hermione squealed. She had some her share of rule-breaking in the past, but nothing like breaking into the Headmaster's office and rummaging through his personal belongings.

"A bit." He said over his shoulder.

Hermione threw a worried glance at the door. So many things could go wrong. She did _not_ want to get expelled two weeks before her graduation!

"Here it is." Draco's voice brought her back to facing the cabinet. In his hand was a silver bowl with some sort of liquid inside.

"Is that a-" Hermione stuttered, floored at really seeing one, "Pensieve?"

"Yes, it is." Draco smiled, but his voice urgent. He knew they didn't have much time. "In here are my memories, unaltered and untouched. What you are going to see is what really happened between us, Hermione. I made a promise to Harry and Ron that I would stay out, it would have been up to them to tell you."

He put the bowl down gingerly on the Headmaster's desk, "I am breaking my word, as a Malfoy, by showing you this. Please, please Hermione; my intentions are entirely selfish…I hold no more malice towards your friends. Judge for yourself."

Hermione watched him step back from the bowl. '_His intentions are entirely selfish? What intentions?_' she thought, looking at the bowl. She threw him a worried glace, and glanced down.

She felt like she was falling, falling and falling. She thought she was going to break her neck when she saw the floor but landed neatly on her feet.

There they were. It was like she was watching a movie. She saw from when they first kissed, to meeting Lethe in Westminster Abby. Dancing until midnight, and then…

'_Oh my._' She blushed rather hard watching herself ask Draco to kiss her and how it escalated. Meeting Bothwell, and the little street urchin Tom, the long journey to Draco's old estate, meeting Valentina and Padaric.

Then there it was. Coluber. He was trying to kill her in the portrait room. She watched the fight escalate and heard Coluber mutter the word '_Oblivate_'.

She was being pulled back. Hermione watched as Draco bent over her injured self and whispered 'I love you' before they were both gone in a flash of light.

She was back in the Headmaster's Office. This time not alone; Ron was restraining Draco and Harry was walking towards Hermione.

"Hermione, are you alright? We were expecting you at the Three Broomsticks and when you didn't show, I looked on the Map and saw you here with him." Harry asked, worry etched on his handsome face.

He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she moved back like he burnt her.

"You knew?" She hissed, her voice low and angry.

"Hermione, we didn't know how to-" Harry started, but Hermione silenced him with a slap to the face.

Ron let go of Draco, but they both just stood there, and watched in muted horror.

Hermione threw a disgusted look to Ron before turning back to Harry, "Who the _hell_ do you think you are to keep something like _that_ from me?"

Harry only held his cheek, burning where she left her mark.

"If I didn't happen to overhear about my miscarriage, would you have kept that from me too?" Her voice rose, but breaking with emotion at the betrayal.

"I loved both of you like brothers! And you stabbed me in the back!" Hermione roared, tears streaming down her face.

"We were trying to protect you, Hermione." Ron managed to mumble, not wanting to be on the receiving end of her slap.

She pointed to both of them; her best friends, her mates, her brothers. "You _knew_ it wasn't Draco's fault! Why? Why didn't you just let it be? Haven't I proven myself again and again? Am I not a strong person? Why do you _insist_ that I, being a girl, _can't_ handle my own life!"

She started to pace around the office. She knew they were trying to protect her, but _so much_ could have been avoided had she known…

"I need to get out of here." She muttered to herself. She pushed pass Harry; giving Draco a sorry look she fled the office


	31. Chapter 31 A Love for All Time

A/N: Surprised to hear from me? Two long years it has been since I have written. I would like to start off my apologizing for taking so long to finish up the story. I hope you all like it, I will say, it is rather simple, given the complex plot of the earlier chapters. I will be writing one-shots, but I don't think I will take on another chaptered story like this. It would have to be an amazing plot bunny! I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Look out for any other works I will have…and don't forget to review!

Harry sank into the chair nearest to him and buried his head in his hands. He never expected Hermione to take the news the way she did, but as an afterthought he figured he didn't know the depth of her emotions.

"You deserve it, Potter." Draco muttered nastily to him. He looked at the two boys with a mix of pity and disgust, "She doesn't need enemies with friends like the lot of you."

Draco's heart ached to run after Hermione and comfort her. He knew she felt betrayed and abandoned by the two people in her life she thought she could trust. But the right thing do at this point was to stay with Harry and Ron and finally clear the air to avoid future confrontation.

Ron looked crestfallen, "What are we going to do now?"

"We?" Draco turned to him and folded his arms. "You and your boyfriend here may have just severed the ties to one of the most amazing which of our life times." They both looked at him with blank expressions and hollowed insides, they knew he was right. "What _I _am going to do is talk to her and try to comfort her. Hermione is a very reasonable person, unfortunately, she will see your good, albeit, stupid intentions." he added as he walked towards the Headmaster's door.

Harry watched Draco leave the Headmaster's office with a mixture of emotions so powerful he almost forgot to breathe. They really did betray her. Who were they to keep something like that from her? They were indeed selfish.

"I hate sharing her, Harry." Ron said almost in a whisper. "I hate that she needed him when she had us."

Harry looked at his best mate and sighed, "Her child was conceived with love, not force. You saw the memories in the pensieve. Had that mad man not erased Hermione's memory, she would be with Malfoy now."

"Maybe it happened for the best, Harry. She was too young to have kids." Ron responded desperately, trying to put the blame on anyone but themselves.

Harry got up and walked over to the Headmaster's desk, "And therein lies our problems. We don't control Hermione's life, Ron. It was supposed to be her decision."

Ron ran his hands through his hair, "You're right. What do you suppose we do now?"

Harry picked up the ancient silver basin and carefully placed it back in the cabinets. He turned to Ron as he closed the door and quietly replied, "The future of our friendship now belongs in the hands of Malfoy."

Draco calmly left the Headmaster's Office and quietly shut the door. He waited patiently as the revolving stairs descended to the school hallway. To any student passing, it looked like Draco just came out from a meeting with Professor Dumbledore, and no one gave much as a second glance to Draco's ever present scowl.

He strided down the hallway, ignorant of the people he was knocking into, or the shouts of greetings coming from his peers. He was too deep in thought. He needed to find Hermione before she mad any hasty decisions regarding her friendship with Potter and Weasley. Mentally, he thought it would be a grand idea if the said two would jump off the Astronomy Tower.

He thought back to the past few months of utter torment he put himself through, and for what, _respecting the wishes of her closest friends._ His scowl deepened more into his handsome face and he remembered the look of utter bewilderment when she put all the pieces together. _Would she have him? Could he betray his family for her? _His heart screamed in approval at the last question, but if it was his love for Hermione or his new found hatred of The Dark Lord's cause, he did not know.

He made his way into the Library to try and find her. He would look from the most obvious to the most unlikely place, even if it took him all night. In his worry and perseverance to find Hermione, Draco didn't stop ask himself a second time if he could give up his family's legacy for her, he did the moment he kissed her.

She was livid. All of them. Every single last one of them lied to her.

She couldn't stop the thoughts racing through her mind, she could feel it pounding in her temples. She wanted to give her best friends the benefit of the doubt, but it hurt so very much.

Hermione threw herself on the grass, clasping her hands over her mouth; she allowed herself a good cry.

When she raced out of the Headmasters Office, she didn't know where she wanted to go to think. Ron and Harry, and maybe even Draco would be scouring every crevice of Hogwarts looking for her, to apologize, or explain, or whatever it was boys did when they were sorry. But she did not feel like facing them, not now. She was afraid if she saw their apologetic faces; she would crumble and forgive them. Hermione was most afraid she would hold a hostile resentment towards her two best friends, and she needed to think very hard if their relationship was worth salvaging.

Then there was Draco.

"Merlin…" she moaned, and threw her forearm over her face. What was she going to do there? What future would there be for him and her? Could she be responsible for Draco's disinheritance? Surely, Draco's father will never welcome her into the most ancient house of Malfoy.

Hermione lay in the grass, not taking mind of the lady bugs crawling in her hair. Hidden ten minutes away from Hagid's cabin, Professor Snape once sent her, Lavender, and Neville to pick flowers from the Hawthorn tree. It very was beautiful; there was a small pond, which was nearly concealed by the full bloomed cherry blossoms. It was a type of place you get married in. With those thoughts of romance in her head, and the sun's warmth on her body, her last thoughts were of Draco as she fell into an exhausted sleep.

It was dinner and she was no where to be found. Draco spent his entire day scouring the halls and classrooms of Hogwarts. He even took advantage of his Head Boy's status and entered the teacher's lounge, but Hermione was no where to be found.

Rather than starve himself, he decided to have dinner before continuing his search.

"May I ask why the Golden Duo is staring at you?" Blaise mumbled out the side of his mouth.

"I will tell you the full story later on tonight." Draco replied, not making eye contact with his friend, "I showed her everything, she is right angry with that lot."

Any other person may have gasped at such news, but Blaise's reaction to it was the reason Draco kept him as a friend. He kept his gaze strait and didn't betray his emotions. At a table full of ambitious Slytherins, the littlest of gossip would be used maliciously.

"What are your plans?" Blaise asked before spooning a bit of pudding in his mouth.

"I will try to find her," Draco responded, piling his own plate with food, "but I have been looking all day. I never realized just how enormous this place is."

"If I see her, I will be sure to put a Full Body Bind on her and levitate her to your rooms." Blaise promised, his face deathly serious.

Draco snorted into his pumpkin juice for the first time since he was four years old. He grinned at his friend," That wouldn't be necessary, but thank you."

Blaise broke into a smile, and Draco saw it falter a bit. He turned to the entrance of the Great Hall and he saw Hermione. She did not walk with her usual "get out of my way Granger" stride, it was more tentative. Draco itched to go to her, but he needed to see how this would play out between the three friends. He watched her approach Harry and Ron, she bent down and whispered to both of them, and gave them reassuring hugs. She got up and started to make her way towards the Slytherin table.

"Draco, the Headmaster would like to see both of us in his office immediately." Hermione reported, her gaze nonchalant.

"Lead the way, Granger." He sniped. She visibly stiffened, but she did not retort. He only hoped she realized how important appearances were at his table.

As the Head boy and girl walked out of the Great Hall together, they had a respectable amount of distance between them, and their silence was deemed unfriendly by their peers. The Gryffindors always applauded their Head Girl for always being respectable even though she had to deal with the Death Eater's son. The Slytherins hissed their approval as well. Who better than Lucius Malfoy's heir, a Lieutenant in the Dark Lords army to lead the next generation of Slytherins. No one could even start to imagine the chaotic emotions effecting the said people.

"We need to talk." Hermione broke the silence by speaking first. The halls were empty as all the students were in the Great Hall having dinner. "I used Professor Dumbledore as an excuse; I know how malicious your fellow classmates can be."

Joy infused every cell in Draco's body, but he willed himself not to show it. He was afraid if he spoke she would run away from him again.

"Let's go to our common room, no one can disturb us there." Draco suggested, trying his best to keep his voice neutral.

Hermione nodded and they changed their route to go back to their common room. She was nervous, but she didn't exactly pin point why. Did she want a relationship with Draco? Before she could answer her self, Draco was holding the portrait open to allow her to go in first.

"No one other than the professors are to disturb us, that includes Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley." Draco commanded the young woman on the painting. She flashed him a knowing smile and nodded.

When he stepped into the common room, Hermione was sitting in very large chair by the fireplace. She had a fleeting thought how romantic it would have been has there actually been a fire, but it was June, and her flair for the dramatic would have to be put aside.

"Please let me speak first." Hermione implored on him. He sat across from her, and she had his undivided attention.

"I am going to put all my cards on the table." she started slowly, she was embarrassed to have to show herself like this, but it was the only way to get everything set right, "What I saw in the pensieve was real love. I can't deny what I saw; your true feelings for me. That aside, I have to think about this from a logical point of view."

She looked up at him and gave him a sorrowful look, "Are you ready to be disinherited for me, Draco? To give up your family? Your legacy? Your status?"

He sighed and kneeled in front of Hermione. "I gave that all up the moment I saw you in that cream colored dress, Hermione." He rested his forehead on her knees for a moment then looked back up at her, "I love you. I did not know there was another life for me outside service to the Dark Lord. With you, I see marriage, I see children. I see a future other than perishing before I am 25 years old."

She ran her hands through his soft hair, "Draco, you can't really believe that our marriage and any child of our union will be welcomed. You will be an outcast."

"Then so be it." He replied stubbornly, "To be outcasted from what? Frigid politeness? Service to a mad man?" He shook his head as if to shake out the images of Lord Voldermort, "I don't want any of that anymore."

Hermione looked into his handsome face, and even though she was only 17 years old, her heart ached for the loss of their child. It would have been such a beautiful baby. "Tell me one more time, Draco."

"I love you, Hermione." Draco mumbled into her lips as he pulled her in for a kiss. He held the back of her head to control the depth of the kiss, he did not want to scare her. When he felt her arms going around his neck and her body pressing up on his, he knew she was his for all his days. At that moment, Draco became a blood traitor, and he loved every moment of it.

Hermione felt the tears pouring from her eyes as he kissed her, but it didn't matter, she savored the weight of him on top of her, she was reminded of falling to sleep in the warm sunshine, with lady bugs in her hair.


End file.
